Smuggling attempts foiled at airport<\/p>\n
TANGERANG (JP): Customs officers at Soekarno-Hatta
\nInternational Airport have foiled attempts to smuggle in via
\npostal services marijuana, Viagra pills, VCDs and stun weapons
\nworth billions of rupiah to and from Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Exposing the confiscated materials to the media on Tuesday,
\nhead of the airport's Custom and Excise Office, Heru Santoso,
\nsaid 34.3 kilograms of marijuana from Banda Aceh and 10,347
\ncopies of VCDs, 330 Viagra pills and dozens of stun guns, arrows
\nand laser pens were detected in mailed packages between Nov. 11
\nand Dec. 18.<\/p>\n
Heru gave no reason why the seizure was not revealed to the
\nmedia sooner.<\/p>\n
No one was arrested, but he said the customs office was
\ncooperating with the Jakarta Police in further investigations.<\/p>\n
According to Heru, the goods were detected \"thanks to the
\nalertness of customs and excise officers at the airport\" in
\nscanning every piece of material to be sent or received.<\/p>\n
The marijuana, for example, was packed in several boxes which
\nwere then wrapped with plastic film and mixed with souvenirs and
\nfood to avoid detection by X-ray, he said.<\/p>\n
When the air mail packages arrived at the airport on Nov. 29
\nand Nov. 30, the customs officers became suspicious and
\nimmediately inspected them, Heru said.<\/p>\n
The marijuana, which is in the form of leaf, stalks and seeds,
\nis estimated to have a street value of Rp 343 million, he added.<\/p>\n
Heru named neither the sender of the packages nor the
\naddressees but said that those involved in such drug shipments
\ncould be charged under Law No. 22\/1997 on narcotics which carries
\na maximum penalty of 15 years in prison or a Rp 750 million fine.<\/p>\n
The VCDs were about to be sent to the Philippines and
\nSingapore in well-wrapped boxes on Nov. 27 and Dec. 5 when the
\ncustoms officers detected them.<\/p>\n
\"On the documents, the exporter claimed that the materials
\nwere computer parts and educational VCDs,\" Heru said.<\/p>\n
The Viagra pills, the sale of which is prohibited in the
\ncountry, arrived via Express Mail Service, he said. (41\/ivy)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/smuggling-attempts-foiled-at-airport-1447893297",
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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