Zarima caught in Houston<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The notorious Ecstasy-case fugitive, Zarima, who
\nescaped in August, was nabbed by Jakarta police detectives in a
\nsupermarket in Houston, the United States, National Police Chief
\nLt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo announced yesterday.<\/p>\n
Dibyo said the 24-year-old woman, who escaped during a police
\nescort, was arrested about 2:30 a.m. Jakarta time (2:30 p.m.
\nHouston time) while shopping at a supermarket in Houston,
\nsoutheast Texas.<\/p>\n
\"We really hope that the suspect can be brought to Indonesia
\nwithin the next few days because there are still some procedures
\nour detectives have to do in the States as the arrest took place
\nthere,\" said the three-star general after inspecting the
\npreparations for the coming anniversary of the elite Brimob
\npolice force.<\/p>\n
Deputy Chief of the Jakarta Police, Brig. Gen. Gunawan, said
\nthe five detectives who arrested Zarima in Houston were led by
\nsecretary of the Jakarta CID Police, Lt. Col. Gories Mere.<\/p>\n
According to Dibyo, the Jakarta police's operation to capture
\nZarima, who is charged for possessing 29,677 pills at her home in
\nWest Jakarta, was with the full assistance of the U.S. Federal
\nBureau of Investigation (FBI).<\/p>\n
Based on the preliminary investigation, Zarima might have left
\nIndonesia through the Batu Ampar ferry seaport in Batam Island,
\nRiau, Dibyo said. It is less than half an hour to Singapore from
\nthe port.<\/p>\n
National Police Spokesman Brig. Gen. Nurfaizi said the
\nfugitive had used a fake passport to deceive immigration
\nofficials<\/p>\n
Both Dibyo and Nurfaizi gave no further details on the case
\nbut a reliable source told The Jakarta Post that Zarima used her
\nsister's passport, whose face is similar to hers.<\/p>\n
\"She arrived in Batam from Yogyakarta in early October shortly
\nafter she knew from newspapers reports that police had detected
\nher hiding place in Yogyakarta,\" the source said.<\/p>\n
Police learned Zarima was hiding somewhere in the United
\nStates from her telephone conversations with a relative in
\nIndonesia, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The relative was apparently willing to work with the police
\nwhile the telephone had already been bugged,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Despite having a telephone number, the police did not act
\nhastily and took the time to locate her exact location.<\/p>\n
\"They could only work out that Zarima was calling from her
\nrelative's in Houston after FBI officers, who were in Jakarta
\nrecently, helped them find the phone number,\" the source said.<\/p>\n
Several FBI officers were in Jakarta to gather evidence on the
\nmissile attack on the U.S. embassy 10 years ago, after a suspect
\nwas arrested recently in the United States.<\/p>\n
\"The Jakarta police promised to help the FBI collect material
\nevidence and, in return, they needed the FBI's support to watch
\nZarima before the Jakarta detectives arrived,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to Brig. Gen. Gunawan, Zarima tried to run away when
\nthe Jakarta police officers surrounded her.<\/p>\n
\"There was a chase before her arrest,\" Gunawan said.<\/p>\n
Dibyo strongly believes Zarima can be brought to Jakarta for
\ntrial. Indonesia has no extradition treaty with the U.S.<\/p>\n
However, a noted lawyer said yesterday Dibyo was too
\noptimistic about bringing Zarima from the United States.<\/p>\n
\"There are a lot of legal procedures that need to be done to
\nbring criminals out of the U.S. and I still have no idea about
\nthe legal reasons for the Jakarta police and FBI arresting Zarima
\nthere,\" said the lawyer, who refused to be named.<\/p>\n
He said if Zarima hired a local lawyer the problem would
\nbecome more serious and it would it will take time for the
\nJakarta police to bring Zarima back.<\/p>\n
Zarima was caught by Tangerang detectives on Aug. 7 in
\npossession of 29,677 pills -- worth at least Rp 1.78 billion
\n(US$757,700) -- at her home in the Taman Alfa Indah housing
\ncomplex in Joglo, West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
While being escorted to the Jakarta police headquarters the
\nnext day, Zarima asked to take a bath at her mother's house which
\nis in the same complex. She allegedly escaped through a second
\nfloor window.<\/p>\n
After her escape, head of the Tangerang CID police, Capt. Ade
\nSutiana, who led the escort, was dismissed from his post and
\ndetained for alleged negligence. (bsr)<\/p>\n
Reactions -- Page 3<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/zarima-caught-in-houston-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }