1.3 tons of marijuana seized

JAKARTA (JP): West Jakarta Police seized some 1.3 tons of dried marijuana on Wednesday and arrested five suspected traffickers in Kembangan Selatan subdistrict, West Jakarta.

The seizure was made after several police officers from the Kembangan Police subprecinct and West Jakarta Police precinct stopped a Kijang minivan on Jl. Kembangan Selatan at about 3 a.m. during a joint antinarcotics operation.

"We were suspicious because when the driver saw the police officers, he quickly speeded up," the police report said.

After a chase, the police finally managed to pull over the minivan and conducted a search.

The police officers found 77 boxes in the car, each containing one kilogram of dried marijuana, the report said.

The driver, identified as Syahrial, and three passengers, Zaini, Yanto, and Naim, were immediately arrested.

After being questioned at the scene about the marijuana, Zaini admitted that the narcotics were about to be brought to Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, for distribution.

A suspect who had been arrested previously in another drug trafficking case admitted that each kilogram of dried marijuana was sold for Rp 1 million (US$105).

Three more suspects, namely Asri, Iis and Pepen, were still at large, the report said. (jaw)