Indonesian Narcotics Agency denies arrest of Hipmi chairman candidate from Bangkok

Indonesia's National Narcotics Agency (BNN) has refuted claims circulating on social media that a candidate for the chairmanship of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (Hipmi) was arrested after arriving from Bangkok. The agency clarified that while 10 Indonesian citizens were indeed apprehended for testing positive for narcotics, the arrests have no connection to the Hipmi candidate or his group.

Brig. Gen. Putu Putera Sadana, Head of BNN's Public Relations and Protocol Bureau, confirmed the operation on Monday night at Soekarno-Hatta Airport. The individuals were returning from Bangkok, Thailand, when they were intercepted. "There is no connection to that," Sadana stated when contacted on Wednesday.

The operation, dubbed "Narkotika Clean Sweep Operation," was a result of an investigation into two Russian nationals who were found carrying 7.8 kilograms of hashish from Thailand. BNN monitored flights arriving from Bangkok on June 8 and identified 14 Indonesian passengers for further examination.

Initial urine tests revealed that 10 of the passengers tested positive for various drugs, including methamphetamine, THC, amphetamine, and cocaine. A small amount of ketamine, weighing 22 grams, was also discovered in the luggage of one individual. The remaining four passengers tested negative.

BNN has categorized the 10 individuals as minor drug users and will subject them to outpatient rehabilitation and mandatory reporting. They were released on Wednesday, June 10, with the condition that they comply with the rehabilitation program and reporting requirements.