JP\/5\/HEROIN<\/p>\n
2.3 kilograms of heroin seized in Bali
\n
\nWahyoe Boediwardhana
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Denpasar<\/p>\n
Denpasar Municipality Police detectives recently arrested two
\nalleged heroin traffickers from South Africa, and seized 2.3
\nkilograms of heroin from them, a senior police officer said on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
The seizure of the 2.3 kilograms of heroin, which had an
\nestimated street value of Rp 2 billion (US$ 212,765), was the
\nbiggest police heroin bust of the past two years, said Denpasar
\nMunicipal Police deputy chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Dewa Parsana.<\/p>\n
The two suspects were still refusing to talk as of Monday --
\nsix days after they had been arrested on Tuesday of last week --
\nso that the police had not been able to elicit much information
\nfrom them, Parsana conceded.<\/p>\n
\"We are still in the dark as to how they smuggled the heroin
\nto Indonesia, where they got it and what sort of network they
\nhave,\" said Parsana.<\/p>\n
The police officer told reporters during a press conference
\nthat the police had become suspicious that the two South African
\nnationals -- John Gabriele, 37, and Martin Christopher, 40 --
\nwere drug traffickers one month ago.<\/p>\n
However, the police did not arrest them immediately for lack
\nof evidence. On Tuesday of last week, the police followed them to
\na hotel in the Petitenget Kuta area. Police detectives were
\ncertain that the two had drugs in their possession.<\/p>\n
Police raided their hotel room on the same night and
\ndiscovered the 2.3 kilograms of heroin.<\/p>\n
The heroin powder was packed in 20 small plastic packages that
\nwere hidden in a can of Extraderm skin lotion, a Cream Crackers
\nbiscuit can and a Cadburys chocolate can. The cans were in a
\nsuitcase.<\/p>\n
\"All the heroin is first class and pure -- each gram is worth
\nRp 1 million (US$106.3),\" said Parsana.<\/p>\n
Parsana commented that the arrests proved that Bali was now a
\ndistribution center and not merely a transit point. \"The heroin
\nwas packed in plastic packages and they were ready for sale
\nhere,\" said Parsana.<\/p>\n
The two suspects have been charged under the Narcotics Law
\nwith drug trafficking, which carries the death penalty.<\/p>\n
This seizure was the biggest since June two years ago, when
\npolice arrested Alphones Simbolon and seized 2.2 kilograms of
\nheroin powder from him.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp5heroin-1447899208",
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