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| Bareskrim Polri raided a drug village in Gang Langgar, Samarinda. Eleven suspected syndicate members and two drug users were arrested in the operation. (ILLUSTRATION IMAGE) |
Bareskrim Uncovers Drug Village in Samarinda That Operated for Four Years
SAMARINDA — Indonesia’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Polri) raided a drug village in Gang Langgar, Samarinda, East Kalimantan, on Saturday (May 16, 2026). During the operation, 11 people suspected of being involved in a drug trafficking syndicate were arrested.
Director of Drug Crimes Investigation at Bareskrim Polri, Brig. Gen. Eko Hadi Santoso, said the raid was carried out by a joint team from Sub-Directorate IV and the Narcotic Investigation Center (NIC) Task Force of the Drug Crimes Directorate.
“The drug syndicate operating in the drug village of Gang Langgar, Samarinda City, was dismantled by the joint team from Sub-Directorate IV and the Narcotic Investigation Center (NIC) Task Force of Bareskrim Polri,” Eko Hadi Santoso said, as quoted by Antara.
Investigators also seized several pieces of drug-related evidence from the raid location. Police suspect the drug trafficking activities in the area had been operating for approximately four years.
According to Eko, daily drug sales turnover in the area was estimated to range from Rp150 million to Rp200 million.
Separately, Head of Unit II of Sub-Directorate IV at the Drug Crimes Directorate, AKBP Bayu Putra Samara, said two drug users were also detained during the operation.
“This syndicate was quite elusive because several operations had previously been carried out by local authorities, but they were unsuccessful,” Bayu said.
All suspects were later taken to the Bareskrim Polri headquarters in Jakarta for further investigation. Police said more details regarding the case would be announced by the Drug Crimes Directorate.
Heri Yakop Reveals Shocking Facts Behind Samarinda’s Drug Village: Rp200 Million Flowing Every Day
The raid on the drug village in Gang Langgar, Samarinda, illustrates how narcotics trafficking is no longer operating in secrecy, but has evolved into an organized ecosystem within residential neighborhoods. The alleged daily turnover of up to Rp200 million indicates the illegal business was operating on a massive scale with a strong distribution network.
BorneoTribun Editor-in-Chief Heri Yakop said the success of Bareskrim Polri in dismantling the operation deserved appreciation. However, he also described the case as a serious warning for regions across Kalimantan that are beginning to face area-based drug trafficking patterns, commonly referred to as “drug villages.”
“If daily turnover reaches hundreds of millions of rupiah, it means the flow of money there is already enormous. This is no longer a small-scale operation or street-level dealing. There is a system that has been alive and running for quite a long time,” Heri Yakop said.
According to him, the fact that the operation allegedly lasted for four years highlights the need for stricter and more consistent monitoring from all parties, including law enforcement officers, local governments, and surrounding communities.
Heri believes drug villages usually emerge not only because of weak law enforcement, but also due to economic pressures and social environmental factors. In many cases, such areas gradually develop until they become widely recognized transaction hubs.
“What is dangerous is not only the drugs themselves, but when society starts seeing such activities as normal. That is where the real social threat lies,” he said.
He also highlighted police statements describing the syndicate as highly elusive and capable of escaping previous operations. According to him, this suggests the network may already understand law enforcement patterns and possess its own internal security system.
On the other hand, the raid could become an important momentum for authorities to uncover a larger network, including supply routes and financial flows behind the narcotics trade.
“Arresting field operators is important, but dismantling the masterminds and distribution channels is far more crucial so that areas like this do not return to operation just a few months later,” Heri said.
He hopes the case in Samarinda will not end as a one-time operation, but will instead be followed by social recovery efforts and continuous supervision to prevent the area from once again becoming a center of narcotics transactions. (Yakop)
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