The darkness of night enveloped Jalan Garuda Sakti. Naufal Hasbi stepped out of his black car, his watch showing 8:30 PM. Thirty minutes earlier, a call from Second Police Brigadier Aretha had brought him to this location – a former guard post that now looked dilapidated and abandoned on the side of the road. The smell of dry earth mixed with the aroma of garbage stung his nose.
Second Police Brigadier Aretha, with her hair neatly tied back and a slightly rumpled field vest, was already waiting with Police Brigadier Razak and two other team members. They were all dressed in dark clothing, silent as shadows ready to pounce, each holding communication devices and firearms neatly wrapped in holsters.
"They'll be here in thirty minutes, Bang," Aretha whispered, her eyes sharply observing the surroundings. She pointed to a black sedan parked about a hundred meters from the guard post, "Our target is there. The information we received is that they will be conducting a transaction here, taking advantage of this remote location."
Naufal nodded, observing small details that might have been missed. The lush trees around the guard post provided some shade, and also served as ideal hiding places for anyone wanting to lie in wait. The silence of the night was only accompanied by the sound of crickets and the rumble of passing vehicle engines.
"Where's First Police Inspector Dimas?" Naufal asked, his voice low and calm, breaking the silence.
"Pak Dimas couldn't make it, Bang. His mother was hospitalized," Razak replied, his voice whispering so as not to be heard by anyone else. His face showed a bit of concern.
Naufal nodded in understanding. Losing one of the key team members did hinder the plan a bit, but the operation had to proceed. He looked at Aretha and Razak, planning a new strategy.
"Okay, let's do this. Eagle Team, you guys keep watch from a distance," Naufal ordered, his gaze shifting to the two members behind Aretha. "Raven Team, Razak and I will make a direct approach. Aretha, you stay here, monitor the situation and contact me if there are any developments."
Naufal took a deep breath. He was gaining experience in operations like this, and the tension remained. The risks were high; their targets were very dangerous drug dealers. A small mistake could be fatal.
"Alright, Bang," Razak replied, his eyes showing readiness. Aretha nodded obediently, although she looked slightly disappointed at not being involved in the direct approach.
They waited patiently, the tension palpable in the air. Only the sound of crickets and the rumble of passing vehicle engines broke the silence. Aretha occasionally glanced at her watch, reporting the remaining time to Naufal.
Five minutes before the appointed time, a silver Avanza car appeared from the opposite direction. The car slowed down as it approached the black sedan, then stopped a few meters behind it. Two people got out of the Avanza, and soon joined the two people already waiting in the black sedan.
"They've gathered, Bang," Aretha reported through her communication device, her voice remaining calm even though her heart was pounding.
Naufal and Razak exchanged glances. This was the moment. With quick and coordinated movements, they moved closer to the target group. Eagle Team, hiding behind the trees, remained on standby, ready to provide assistance if needed.
"Police! Don't move!" Naufal shouted, his voice echoing around the silent guard post. He raised his gun, approaching the target group. Razak immediately followed, surrounding the group from the other side.
The four people looked surprised, their hands raised in the air. The expressions on their faces showed a mixture of fear and confusion.
"Everyone take your hands out of your pockets! Lie face up on the ground!" Naufal ordered in a loud voice, making sure his command was clearly heard.
The four people obeyed, slowly taking the contents out of their pockets and lying on the ground. Naufal and Razak immediately searched them. Inside the black sedan and Avanza, they found a large amount of various types of drugs, a large amount of cash, and several notebooks containing illicit transactions.
"We succeeded, Bang," Aretha reported through her communication device, her voice sounding relieved.
"Not yet," Naufal replied, his eyes still sharply observing the surroundings. He still felt that something was amiss. "We need to check their cars more thoroughly."
They examined the Avanza and black sedan in detail. Inside a secret compartment under the Avanza's seat, they found many narcotics in the form of crystal methamphetamine and ecstasy and several sharp weapons. This discovery further strengthened their suspicion of a larger network behind this operation.
"This is strong evidence, Sir," Razak said, showing the other evidence. "We have managed to uncover a fairly large network."
Naufal nodded. He felt relieved, this operation had been successful. They had managed to arrest the drug dealers and find evidence leading to a larger network. However, he also realized that this was only the beginning of a long struggle. There were still many similar networks that needed to be dismantled, and there were still many crimes that needed to be eradicated. The fight against drugs was still long and hard.
"We must immediately take them to the office, collect all the evidence, and weigh it," Naufal said. "And interrogate them to get more information about this network. We must dismantle this entire network to its roots."
"Yes, Sir."
They immediately secured the suspects and took them to the police station. On the way, silence enveloped them, only the sound of police car sirens breaking the silence of the night. Naufal stared out the window, thinking about the long struggle that still awaited him. He knew this was just the beginning.
"Stop up ahead," Naufal said when he saw a simple restaurant that was still open. It was already 10:30 PM. "They must be hungry and tired. We need to feed them before continuing the interrogation."
"Yes, Bang."
Wisnu, who was driving Naufal's car, immediately parked the car containing two suspects. The other two suspects were in the office car ridden by Razak and Aretha.
Together they got out, bringing the four perpetrators whose hands were already handcuffed, and walked into the simple restaurant.
"You guys eat first," Naufal looked at the suspects. "The process later will definitely be very long and you won't have a chance to eat. Just order what you want to eat. This is an order, not an offer." Despite being tired and tense, Naufal remained professional and firm. He ensured that the suspects received their basic rights, even though they had broken the law.
After finishing their meal, they continued their journey. Arriving at the police station, the investigation and interrogation process began. The information obtained from the suspects revealed a larger and more complex network than expected. Naufal and his team had to work hard to dismantle the entire network.
They knew that this was only the beginning of a long and hard struggle, and they remained determined to eradicate crime and create justice. The sun began to rise on the eastern horizon, marking the beginning of a new day, and also the beginning of a new struggle for Naufal and his team.