Indonesia seizes 1.3 tonnes of ketamine worth millions in major bust

Indonesian authorities have seized 1.3 tonnes of ketamine worth tens of millions of dollars from a foreign-flagged vessel, a top anti-drug official said on Aug 9, in one of the country’s largest drug busts.

T

he authorities received intelligence in February that the MV King Sun was sailing east from Thailand towards Indonesia with “suspicious” cargo, prompting months of surveillance.



A navy warship intercepted the vessel on Aug 6 as it entered Indonesian territory.



The load of an estimated 1.3 tonnes was worth around $116 million.



Authorities were still searching the boat to see if there was more.



Ketamine functions primarily as a fast-acting anaesthetic but is widely abused as an illicit party drug.



Its distribution is tightly controlled and monitored in Indonesia.