Indonesian police seize 1.5 hectares of marijuana in Bromo National Park

Robert Da Costa, director of the East Java Police Narcotics Investigation Department, told Indonesian media that the area of land where the marijuana plants were discovered spanned about 1.5 hectares.

Mr Da Costa said the cannabis was grown in rugged and isolated mountainous terrain to “hinder detection by the authorities”. “The terrain they chose is extremely rugged, making it difficult for us to access the area,” the head of East Java police’s narcotics investigation unit told Antara news agency.

Indonesian police said the cannabis was grown in rugged and isolated mountainous terrain, making access extremely difficult. Photo: Indonesiasentinel

Four suspects have been arrested as authorities seek to identify the key figures behind the illegal operation. “They were growing cannabis from January 2024,” said Da Costa. “From January to September, some plants were harvested and some were not,” he added.

Indonesia has some of the world's strictest drug laws, including the death penalty for traffickers. Cannabis, for consumption or even for medical purposes, remains illegal in the country.

The police investigation began on September 19 after local authorities discovered 453 cannabis plants growing on the slopes of Mount Semeru in Argosari village.

Subsequent searches led to the discovery of much larger cannabis fields, with plants recorded as being between 1.5 and 2 metres tall and estimated to be between three and four months old, suggesting they were ready to harvest.

Officials said the investigation continued as the search area expanded and more cannabis plants were discovered across Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park.

Indonesian authorities have not yet released the identities of those arrested but are continuing their investigation, aiming to disrupt a larger network of traders and businessmen believed to be involved in the illegal activity.

Based on preliminary reports, the plants were not being exported but circulated locally around East Java. Over the weekend, local police also discovered a post-harvest cannabis processing site, hidden in the park’s forested areas, surrounded by dense vegetation on steep terrain. Officials said at least 10 kilograms of dried cannabis were seized from the site.

In 2022, officers from the Indonesian National Narcotics Agency (BNN) dismantled a cannabis plantation in North Sumatra measuring about 5 hectares and seized 50,000 cannabis plants. Drones were used to locate the plantation.

In August this year, BNN officers destroyed 3.5 tonnes of cannabis harvested from two hectares of illegal cannabis fields in Aceh province. Earlier in March, cannabis fields spanning about 4 hectares in three locations in Aceh were also destroyed by BNN officers.

Nguyen Khanh (according to CNA, Indonesiasentinel, Jakarta Post)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/phat-hien-don-dien-can-sa-lon-tai-vuon-quoc-gia-indonesia-post313926.html