Man arrested with 38,000 ecstasy pills<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): City police detectives arrested a 35-year-old
\nformer coffin maker on Monday for allegedly possessing a total of
\n38,172 ecstasy pills worth over Rp 1.7 billion (US$234,500).<\/p>\n
It is believed to be the country's single largest ecstasy
\nseizure. In 1996, television actress Zarima was arrested with
\n29,677 ecstasy pills.<\/p>\n
The suspect, identified as Khwan Tjiang, alias Atjiang, alias
\nBenny Sembiring, a resident of Kalideres, West Jakarta, claimed
\nto not know who really owned the drugs.<\/p>\n
Police said the pills were discovered in a suitcase in an
\nupscale house in Taman Surya III housing complex in Cengkareng,
\nWest Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Tjiang repeatedly pleaded his innocence to the police. He said
\nhe had been hired by a man called Bang (brother) Lubis to watch
\nthe house and package the pills.<\/p>\n
\"It's Bang Lubis who asked me to package the pills and I don't
\nknow his address,\" an officer quoted Tjiang as saying.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police detectives chief Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo
\nsaid on Tuesday he and his men did not know the identity of the
\ntrue owner of the drugs.<\/p>\n
\"We'll build the case and hope that we can identify this Lubis
\nsoon,\" Alex said, adding that Tjiang was still being questioned.<\/p>\n
He said that as in many cases of this size, it could be
\ndifficult to arrest the real owner of the drugs because he or she
\nwould probably have connections with certain powerful people in
\nthe country.<\/p>\n
\"It has always been difficult for us. Besides that, the
\nmembers of these well-organized drugs syndicates are smart enough
\nto keep their links with each other to a minimum,\" Alex said.<\/p>\n
He said that Tjiang was only able to contact Lubis through his
\ncellular phone, adding that police had unsuccessfully attempted
\nto contact Lubis through his phone.<\/p>\n
The arrest of Tjiang followed a week-long surveillance of the
\nhouse after police received a tip-off from an anonymous caller on
\nMonday last week.<\/p>\n
The unidentified caller said a man riding a motorcycle was
\nseen around an empty house in the complex and his activities
\nseemed suspicious.<\/p>\n
Snack packets<\/p>\n
Tjiang said he was only hired by Lubis to place the pills into
\nempty snack packets.<\/p>\n
He said he used empty Cheetos bags for \"small orders\" of 2,500
\npills and empty Happytos bags for orders of between 5,000 and
\n10,000 pills.<\/p>\n
The packets were then sealed using a special machine, which
\nwas also confiscated during the raid.<\/p>\n
Tjiang said he filled between 20 and 30 orders a day for which
\nhe received between Rp 250,000 and Rp 300,000 per week from Bang
\nLubis.<\/p>\n
\"Ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers always picked up the packages
\nand delivered the pills,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ojek drivers were also used by Lubis to deliver messages to
\nTjiang.<\/p>\n
\"I've been doing this job for three weeks, since Bang Lubis
\nhired me to guard the house in Taman Surya,\" Tjiang, who claimed
\nto only have an elementary school education, said.<\/p>\n
Police said Lubis employed more than one ojek driver at the
\nhousing complex to deliver the packages of ecstasy to various
\nentertainment spots.<\/p>\n
Before raiding the house, several police detectives went
\nundercover as ojek drivers to learn more about the operation.<\/p>\n
\"When we spoke with the ojek drivers, the clues all led to
\nTjiang, who often came to the empty house and left the house
\nafter the ojek drivers departed,\" one of the detectives said.<\/p>\n
Tjiang said the pills were distributed to certain discotheques
\nin West and North Jakarta, but claimed he did not know the names
\nof the entertainment spots.<\/p>\n
The pills -- claimed to be of the highest-quality -- were sold
\nfor Rp 40,000 each.<\/p>\n
With or without Lubis, Tjiang would face up to 15 years in
\nprison and a fine of up to Rp 300 million for possessing and
\ndistributing the pills.(emf)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/man-arrested-with-38000-ecstasy-pills-1447893297",
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