inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The National Drugs Agency (BNN) has arrested a drug kingpin from Central Kalimantan who has been on the run. The fugitive is Salihin alias Saleh (39).

Saleh allegedly operates from drug village in Palangka Raya City. He says that he operates his drug operations similar to those of Columbian cartel boss, Pablo Escobar.

“Saleh is a convict in a case of illicit trafficking of crystal methamphetamine who was sentenced to prison by the Supreme Court on October 25th, 2022," said Head of BNN Marthinus Hukom on Thursday (9/12/2024).

He explains that the arrest on Saleh was carried out by Central Kalimantan BNN Team in 2021 with the evidence of 202.8 grams of methamphetamine. However, the charges against Saleh did not have enough strong evidence so he was released.

"Our investigators and the Public Prosecutor who handled the case believed that S was guilty and filed an appeal until finally Saleh was sentenced to 7 years in prison and a fine of IDR 1 billion. However, before the sentence could be executed, Saleh managed to escape, until finally the PalangkaRaya District Attorney's Office wrote to the Central Kalimantan Province BNN to search for Saleh," he explained.

Based on the report, the BNN Team has resumed the pursuit since September 2nd, 2024 and conducted an investigation and suspected that Saleh was hiding in the Puntun Village area, Pahandut District, Palangka Raya City, Central Kalimantan.

"During the pursuit, Saleh managed to escape again, but the BNN Team continued to conduct a crime scene investigation and managed to confiscate cash amounting to IDR 902,538,000 from the hands of one of the syndicate members with the initials E," he said.

He further said, on Wednesday, September 4th, the team found new facts that Saleh was hiding on Jalan Rindang Banua Gang Sayur, Pahandut District, Palangka Raya City, Central Kalimantan. When arrested, Saleh tried to escape from the officers' pursuit and hid behind the bushes around the swamp.

Finally, the officers fired shots and hit him. During the arrest, officers secured another suspect with the initials M alias U who was hiding with Saleh.

Both of them served as guards at the house where Saleh had been hiding all this time.

"Another suspect who was also arrested was a man with the initials E. His role in the narcotics syndicate was as a money collector from sales at the transaction counter. E was arrested a day before S was successfully arrested," he said.

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