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Abstract

Abstract. Methamphetamine trafficking represents one of the most significant forms of transnational organised crime affecting Indonesia and appears to be facilitated by Indonesia’s strategic position within global maritime trade networks. Existing explanations have emphasised law enforcement capacity and policy responses, while less attention has been given to the opportunity structures that may facilitate trafficking activities. This study examines how Routine Activity Theory may contribute to explaining methamphetamine trafficking in Indonesia and considers its implications for Situational Crime Prevention. This study employed a structured literature review based on a systematic semantic search of publications indexed in Semantic Scholar and OpenAlex. The retrieved studies were screened using predefined eligibility criteria, and the selected literature was analysed thematically to identify patterns relating to opportunity structures, guardianship deficiencies, and situational prevention strategies within the Indonesian maritime context.

The findings suggest that methamphetamine trafficking in Indonesia reflects the outcome of opportunity convergence embedded within globalised maritime trade systems and fragmented maritime guardianship. Containerised shipping networks, dense maritime trade flows, and weakly monitored coastal entry points appear to create opportunity structures that organised trafficking networks may exploit. The analysis further indicated that interventions aimed at increasing effort, increasing risk, reducing rewards, and anticipating displacement may disrupt trafficking opportunities, although their effectiveness is likely to be constrained by structural realities of maritime trade and fragmented maritime governance. Overall, the study contributes to applying Routine Activity Theory to Indonesia’s maritime context while highlighting the potential and limitations of Situational Crime Prevention in addressing transnational methamphetamine trafficking.

Keywords: methamphetamine trafficking, Routine Activity Theory, Situational Crime Prevention, maritime security, Indonesia

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