Marijuana Plantation Uncovered in Aceh Following Discoveries in Bromo, Papua

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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian authorities have uncovered another marijuana plantation in Aceh. The National Police’s Narcotics Crime Directorate (Dittipidnarkoba) said that a 25-hectare marijuana field was found in Nagan Raya Regency, Aceh, where the suspect cultivated the crop on privately owned land.

The directorate's chief of Narcotics Crime Directorate, Brig. Gen. Eko Hadi Santoso, said on Tuesday that investigators arrested two suspects: YH, alias Musra, who served as a courier, and KR, who packaged the marijuana. Two others, identified as F, alias Podan, and MR, remain at large and are on the wanted list, he said as cited by Antara.

The discovery came to light during an investigation into a drug trafficking case involving 27 kilograms of dried marijuana in Bener Meriah, Aceh, at the end of May 2025. During that operation, suspect YH admitted the marijuana belonged to F, who is now a fugitive.

"F ordered YH and MR, who is also a fugitive, to deliver the marijuana to Siantar, North Sumatra, promising them Rp300,000 per kilogram. The packaging was handled by KR, who was later arrested," Eko said.

Investigators then began searching for F and MR but were unable to locate them. During the investigation, YH revealed that F stored marijuana at a shack on his property. A search of the shack yielded 8 kilograms of marijuana.

YH also disclosed the existence of F’s marijuana plantation in Beutong Ateuh Banggalang, Nagan Raya Regency, Aceh. Armed with this information, a joint task force conducted a search from June 17 to 19, 2025, identifying five plantation sites linked to F. Further operations from June 20 to 22, 2025, uncovered three additional sites in Blang Meurandeh and Kuta Teungoh villages.

"The operations revealed a total of eight marijuana plantation sites, covering approximately 25 hectares. The plants, aged between four and six months, included roughly 960,000 marijuana plants weighing about 180 tons," Eko said.

Seven of the eight sites were destroyed between June 22 and 23, 2025, with the eighth site eradicated on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. The suspect, F, cultivated the marijuana on his private land, processed the dried product in a shack, and arranged for couriers to deliver it to buyers.

The suspects face charges under Article 114, paragraph 2, in conjunction with Article 132, paragraph 2, of Law No. 35 of 2009 on Narcotics, with subsidiary charges under Article 111, paragraph 2, in conjunction with Article 132, paragraph 2, of the same law.

This is not the first such discovery in Aceh. On January 23, 2024, as reported by Antara, the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) destroyed a 2-hectare marijuana plantation in Teupin Reusep village, Sawang subdistrict, North Aceh Regency, containing approximately 22,000 plants weighing 11 tons. On March 6, 2024, BNN also eradicated 4 hectares of marijuana fields across three sites in Aceh Besar Regency, totaling 20,000 plants and 7 tons.

Beyond Aceh, marijuana plantations have been found in other regions. In late September 2024, Lumajang Police uncovered a plantation in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) in Argosari village, Senduro subdistrict, within the jurisdiction of the National Park Management Section (SPTN) Region 3 Senduro, Area 2, Lumajang Regency.

Court proceedings revealed 59 marijuana planting sites within the TNBTS conservation area, specifically in the forest zone. A witness, Edwy Yunanto, testified on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, that the total area of the plantations was less than 1 hectare. "The total area doesn’t reach 1 hectare," Edwy said during the trial.

In Papua, a marijuana plantation was discovered along the Trans-Papua Highway, Jayapura-Wamena section, at kilometer 139 in Waris district, Keerom Regency. The Border Security Task Force Yonif 126/KC found the site on Tuesday, May 17, 2022, following a community tip.

The discovery resulted from vehicle inspections conducted by the RI-PNG Border Security Task Force Yonif 126/KC at the Kalimao Post. "At the scene, we found 21 marijuana plants, 3 to 5 meters tall and ready for harvest. The evidence was handed over to Keerom Police for destruction," said Task Force Commander Lieutenant Colonel Dwi Widodo.