DENPASAR, Bali — In a scene contrasting the island’s serene reputation, the Bali Police Directorate of Narcotics Crime held a public drug destruction ceremony under heavy afternoon rains on Thursday. The event, witnessed by officials from various national agencies, showcased a unique, almost domestic, method of obliterating evidence: blending seized narcotics with water and dishwashing detergent.
Eight male suspects, clad in orange detention shirts, their hands bound with cable ties behind their backs and barefoot, stood in a somber line facing away from the proceedings. Before them, on a table, lay the tools of the drugs’ demise: five blenders, bottles of water, liquid dish soap, and the contraband itself—packets of crystal methamphetamine and ecstasy pills.
“The destruction process for methamphetamine and ecstasy involves mixing them with water and dish soap, which helps dissolve the substances. We then blend it to destroy it completely before discarding it into the sewer,” explained Commissioner Radiant, Director of Narcotics Crime Investigation for the Bali Police, with a brief chuckle. Cannabis evidence, he noted, was destroyed separately by incineration.
The ceremony, held at the Bali Regional Police headquarters, was attended by representatives from the National Narcotics Agency, the High Prosecutor’s Office, Customs, the Health Department, and the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency, underscoring the multi-agency approach to Indonesia’s strict drug enforcement.
In his opening address, read in the presence of the dignitaries, the Bali Police Chief, Inspector General Daniel Adityajaya, framed the fight against drugs as a critical national struggle. “A lack of public knowledge about the abuse and illicit trafficking of narcotics has a profoundly negative impact,” the statement read. “It is not only dangerous for the individual user but, globally, it threatens the continuity of life for the Indonesian nation and state.”
The destroyed evidence included 2,077.59 grams of crystal methamphetamine (shabu), 1,345.5 ecstasy pills (503.15 grams), 161 grams of cannabis, along with smaller quantities of hashish and THC. The police estimated the total street value of the confiscated drugs at approximately Rp 4.014 billion (roughly USD 250,000). Authorities stated that the seizures leading to this destruction had “saved 900 lives” from potential abuse.
A Symbolic Act in a High-Stakes Battle
For global readers and residents in Bali, the vivid imagery of blenders and dish soap highlights the daily, gritty reality beneath the island’s tourist facade. Bali remains on the front lines of Indonesia’s zero-tolerance drug policy, where trafficking convictions can carry the death penalty. This destruction ceremony serves a dual purpose: a practical disposal of evidence as mandated by Indonesian law (Law No. 35 of 2009 on Narcotics) and a potent public spectacle intended to deter involvement with illicit substances.
The method, while unusual, is designed to ensure the narcotics are irrecoverably contaminated and dissolved before being released into the wastewater system. The police chief’s statement concluded with a common appeal in such proceedings: a call to commit to staying away from drugs and to protect the younger generation as the nation’s backbone.
As the afternoon rain continued to fall, the whir of blenders marked the end of this batch of contraband, a stark reminder of the ongoing battle that persists in paradise.
Reported by Ferry Fadly
Written by Hey Bali Newsroom
Hey Bali News provides trusted, culturally-aware reporting for the international community in Bali. We are committed to delivering accurate local insights with global context.
