BANGKOK — The Thailand Maritime Enforcement Command Center (Thai-MECC) issued a press release today clarifying details about the May 13 incident where the Indonesian Navy seized the AUNGTOETOE 99, a vessel flying a Thai flag, along with its crew for smuggling methamphetamine and cocaine off the coast of Sumatra.
According to the statement, the vessel’s captain is Thai, while the four crew members are Myanmar nationals. However, Thai-MECC noted that after checking their vessel database, no records of this ship were found. Authorities are currently coordinating with international agencies to determine the vessel’s actual nationality.
The Indonesian Navy intercepted and arrested the foreign fishing vessel named Aungtoetoe 99 while it was sailing in the Selat Durian waters near Tanjung Balai Karimun in Riau Islands Province. The vessel aroused suspicion as it had no fishing equipment or fish on board.
The drug shipment on the vessel weighed approximately 1.9 tons, consisting of 705 kilograms of methamphetamine and 1,200 kilograms of cocaine, valued at around 428 million USD.
All five arrestees are currently detained in Batam by the Indonesian Navy. The case is being transferred to Indonesia’s National Anti-Narcotics Agency for investigation and prosecution, including tracing the source of the drugs and identifying associated networks.
Under Indonesian law, drug trafficking of this magnitude carries severe penalties, including the possibility of life imprisonment or death by firing squad. Indonesia is known for its strict enforcement of drug laws, particularly for major trafficking operations.
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