Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Jakarta
Customs and excise officials successfully foiled two drug-smuggling attempts from Hong Kong and Malaysia at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Cengkareng and Pasar Baru post office, Central Jakarta, respectively.
Rahmat Subagio, the airport's customs and excise office chief, said Hengki Nio, a 44-year-old Chinese-Indonesian from Kedoya, West Jakarta, was arrested in connection with a failed attempt to smuggle two kilograms of crystal methamphetamine worth Rp 4 billion (US$430,108) from Hong Kong.
"The suspect tried to avoid the customs checkpoint upon his arrival Sunday by leaving his luggage with a porter. Our officers apprehended him immediately after he passed the checkpoint," he said in Cengkareng on Monday.
He said officers detained Hengki and found the drugs in his luggage.
"We will hand the suspect and the evidence over to the police for further investigation," Rahmat said.
Hengki said he was asked by an Indonesian man in Hong Kong to carry the drugs to Indonesia, and was promised Rp 20 million upon his arrival in Jakarta.
He said he was aware he was smuggling banned substances but decided to take the risk because he needed the money.
Eko Darmanto, the customs office's chief of intelligence, said this was the 10th drug-smuggling attempt foiled by customs officials at the airport since Feb. 20.
"In previous cases, the suspects hid the drugs in food containers, but this one was different. The suspect hid the drugs in the lining of his luggage," he said.
He said Hengki would likely face a 10 year prison sentence and Rp 300 million in fines for violating the law on psychotropic substances.
In another case, customs and National Police officials said an attempt to smuggle 11.85 kilograms of ketamine from Malaysia had been thwarted.
National Police deputy spokesman Sr. Comr. Sulistyo Iskak said customs and excise officials were suspicious of a large package at Pasar Baru post office. The invoice on it was addressed to John Handoyo, and said it contained three water filters.
"When we checked with the X-ray machine, we found something suspicious inside the filters," he said.
Officials then opened the package and found the drugs.
Sulistyo said police had arrested Widjaja Sulaiman alias A Shiung alias Shiung Lay, a resident of Taman Surya 5, West Jakarta, as a suspect in the case after receiving information from Handoyo and a taxi driver ordered to pick up the package.
Police also searched Widjaja's apartment in Mediterania, West Jakarta, and found 292 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 18 emirin pills and a crystal meth inhaler.
Third unit head of the National Police's Drug and Organized Crime division, Adj. Sr. Comr. Andi Loedianto, said Handoyo was released because he was not aware of the package or its contents.
"Handoyo knows Widjaja but he is not linked to the drugs," he said.
Police are also seeking Kenny Tan, a resident of Selangor, Malaysia, as a suspect in the case. (ind)
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