American nabbed in Bali with drugs
Wahyoe Boediwardhana and Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar/Medan
Police here said on Tuesday they had arrested an American national for possessing 59.5 grams of illegal drugs, including 0.4 grams of cocaine that was concealed inside his rectum.
"We had him under surveillance for several weeks. After gathering positive intelligence, our officers entered his rented villa in Kerobokan and arrested him," Bali Police narcotics chief Sr. Comr. Bambang Sugiarto said.
The suspect is identified as Natale Michael Gabriele, 42, who lives at Cresham St. F/305 in Canoga Park, California.
A building contractor by profession, Gabriele is an avid diver and arrived in Bali two months ago to try the resort island's favorite diving spots.
The police found 58.4 grams of heroin hidden in the lining of his diving suit and another 0.7 grams of heroin inside a pillow.
Sugiarto said the suspect confessed to purchasing the drugs on Friday night for Rp 4 million (US$471) on Jl. Legian in the popular tourist haven of Kuta, from an individual who claimed to be a Taiwanese citizen.
"If it's true, then he surely got the stuff for a good price," Sugiarto said.
The going street price for one gram of cocaine or heroin could be as high as Rp 900,000.
Sugiarto said the interrogation took much longer than usual, as the suspect was suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms.
Possession of illegal drugs in Indonesia carries a maximum penalty of death.
Early this month, Denpasar Police nabbed Italian national Juri Angione for trying to smuggle 5.26 kilograms of cocaine, worth around Rp 4.5 billion, into Bali.
Meanwhile, Medan Police handed over to prosecutors on Tuesday the case file of South African Okonkwo, 29, who is charged with illegally distributing heroin in North Sumatra.
Okonkwo was arrested by customs officials at Polonia Airport on Oct. 25 with 69 capsules of heroin hidden in his stomach on his arrival from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Medan Police narcotics chief Comr. Kumbul KS said his office had completed the investigation and had handed over the suspect, his dossier and material evidence to the local prosecutor's office for further legal processing.
"Since today (Tuesday), the suspect has been officially detained at the Medan Prosecutor's Office. We hope he will stand trial soon," he said.
Last year, Kenyan citizen Josep Karanja was arrested in Medan for smuggling 76 capsules, or 900 grams, of heroin, partly concealed in his stomach.
The Medan District Court handed down a 15 year sentence, even though prosecutors had requested the death sentence.