Mount Tambora’s hiking trail is facing scrutiny on two fronts this week, after a joint patrol operation that initially targeted environmental violations uncovered a methamphetamine case involving a would-be hiker who fled the scene.
The discovery came during a routine inspection of hikers’ belongings along the Oi Bura Village trail in Tambora district, Sumbawa, on Saturday, August 15, conducted by a combined team from Tambora Police, the Indonesian military, forest rangers, and Tambora National Park authorities.
A Suspicious Reaction Led Officers to a Wallet Full of Drugs
According to Tambora Police Chief Iptu Suhadak, the case only came to light because of how one individual reacted to the checkpoint. A 19-year-old man identified by the initials RH, a resident of Labuhan Kananga Village in Tambora district, appeared visibly nervous as officers approached, then discarded a small wallet and attempted to flee the scene.
“When we checked it, the wallet contained five small bags of crystal methamphetamine and a glass smoking pipe,” Suhadak confirmed to detikBali on Friday, August 21.
The case has since been formally transferred to the Narcotics Investigation Unit at Bima Police Headquarters, with evidence handed over on Tuesday, August 18. “The evidence has been submitted by Tambora Police to investigators at Bima Police’s Narcotics Unit,” Suhadak said.
A Separate Environmental Violation the Same Week
The drug discovery emerged from the same enforcement sweep that caught 13 hikers picking edelweis flowers and improperly disposing of trash along the trail, a protected alpine species found in Indonesia’s high-altitude national parks that draws hikers specifically for its rarity and symbolic status as a marker of reaching high summits.
Edelweis picking has become an increasingly monitored offense across Indonesia’s national parks in recent years, as the flower’s slow growth cycle and limited habitat make it particularly vulnerable to over-collection by hikers seeking souvenirs or photos.
Bima Police Confirm the Case Is Active, Suspect Still at Large
Bima Police’s Narcotics Unit chief, AKP Dediansyah, confirmed his office had received the evidence and would pursue the case to its conclusion. As of this report, the suspect identified as RH remains at large, with his identity confirmed and an active search underway.
“We will investigate this case fully. The suspected owner of the methamphetamine and smoking equipment, identified by the initials RH, is still being pursued,” Dediansyah said.
