Indonesia, Malaysia Police Step Up Fight Against Cross-Border Drug Trafficking - Tempo.co English

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian National Police (Polri) and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) have strengthened cooperation in tackling narcotics-related crimes, agreeing to improve coordination on Malaysian nationals involved in drug cases in Indonesia.

Polri Drug Crimes Director Brig. Gen. Eko Santoso said in a statement on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, that the two sides agreed that police-to-police mechanisms could facilitate faster information exchanges and more responsive operations.

He added that the approach would not diminish the need to coordinate with relevant diplomatic missions.

The two police forces reached the agreement following three days of discussions from Sept. 2 to 4 in Malaysia, during which Polri highlighted the importance of strengthening intelligence networks to identify and track international drug lords or syndicate masterminds who remain at large.

“Intelligence cooperation is expected to help us pin down the masterminds, not only the couriers,” Santoso said.

He also pointed to indications of widespread drug trafficking operations involving Indonesians and Malaysians along the border, identifying the Strait of Malacca and Indonesia’s borders with the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak as key hotspots. The officer underscored the importance of preventive measures in tackling such crimes.

Meanwhile, he said, PDRM suggested that the two countries not always rely on lengthy extradition processes when dealing with Indonesian fugitives found in Malaysia.

The Malaysian police proposed invalidating the fugitives’ passports, which would render them illegal visitors in Malaysia and potentially enable their prompt deportation, he said.

“Both sides agreed to follow up on all suggestions conveyed during the talks to strengthen collaboration on eradicating transboundary drug trafficking through information exchanges, technical analyses, and joint enforcement measures,” he concluded.