CNA – Tens of thousands of marijuana plants were discovered within Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java, Indonesia, with authorities seizing approximately 38,000 plants during an operation on Tuesday.
Director of Drug Detection for East Java Police Robert Da Costa told Indonesian media outlets that the land where the plants were found spanned approximately 1.5 hectares. The marijuana was planted in isolated and rugged mountain terrain to “hinder detection by authorities”, Da Costa said.
Four suspects have been detained as authorities seek to identify key figures behind the illegal operation. “They have been planting marijuana since January 2024,” Da Costa said.
From January to September, some plants were harvested and others were not,” he added.
Indonesia has some of the world’s toughest drug laws, including the death penalty for traffickers. Cannabis, for consumption or even medical purposes, remains illegal in the country despite growing calls across the world for legalisation.
The illegal operation to cultivate the plants began earlier in January, Da Costa said, with some areas found to have been already harvested while others remained untouched. Police investigations began on September 19 after local authorities discovered 453 marijuana plants growing on the slopes of Mount Semeru in the village of Argosari.
Subsequent searches led to the discovery of much larger marijuana fields, with plants recorded standing between 1.5 and two metres tall.
