Three foreigners held for 1.7 kg heroin haul<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Three foreigners have been arrested for alleged
\ninvolvement in smuggling 1.7 kilograms of high-grade heroin into
\nthe country from Thailand, a senior officer said yesterday.<\/p>\n
National Police spokesman Maj. Gen. Trimada Dani said the
\nsuspects were a Thai, Liberian and Nigerian.<\/p>\n
The three were identified as Laor Treekhem, 34, John Brown,
\n22, and Melvin Chiguzie, 24, respectively. Treekhem was allegedly
\na female courier for a heroin syndicate, he said.<\/p>\n
According to Trimada, the three were apprehended Wednesday in
\na room of a small hotel in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"They were arrested when the two male suspects were about to
\nreceive the heroin from the Thai woman,\" said Trimada.<\/p>\n
According to National Police director of the narcotics and
\ndangerous substances unit, Col. Wilhelmus Laturette, one kilogram
\nof high-grade heroin had a street value of about US$150,000 in
\nsome foreign countries.<\/p>\n
Laturette said the police and Soekarno-Hatta International
\nAirport customs officials had been tipped off about Wednesday's
\ndeal by an overseas agent.<\/p>\n
Based on the information, the police and customs officers
\ndecide to arrest the suspects in the middle of the transaction,
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
\"We just let the suspects go ahead with their plan while we
\nwere watching from a distance,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to Laturette, airport officials let Treekhem pass
\nthrough customs upon arrival at 6:50 p.m. Wednesday on board a
\nThai Airline plane from Bangkok.<\/p>\n
Treekhem, who entered Indonesia on a tourist visa, allegedly
\ncarried the heroin inside her handbag. The heroin showed up on a
\ncustoms X-ray, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The woman admitted later during interrogation that she had
\ntwice succeeded in smuggling heroin into this country, also from
\nBangkok, in the last four months,\" said Laturette.<\/p>\n
The woman, however, refused to say how much heroin she
\nsmuggled into the country the first time, he said.<\/p>\n
Treekhem admitted to having received about US$1,000 for the
\nfirst delivery she made in August and $1,200 for the second
\ndelivery just two weeks ago.<\/p>\n
\"She said she was supposed to be paid about $2,000 if she
\nsucceeded this time,\" Laturette said.<\/p>\n
After leaving the airport, Treekhem, who was followed by
\nundercover detectives, headed straight to the Petamburan Hotel
\nand checked in to room 214, he said.<\/p>\n
According to the police, the hotel is popular among foreign
\ndrug syndicate members.<\/p>\n
During police questioning, Treekhem said she had been ordered
\nby her boss in Bangkok to wait in the room for two men who would
\npick up the heroin, said Laturette.<\/p>\n
The police arrested the three suspects in the room at about 10
\np.m. the same day, he said.<\/p>\n
Like many drug dealers, Treekhem and the two other suspects
\ntold police investigators that they had never met each other
\nbefore, he said. (cst)<\/p>",
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