Another man arrested over drugs

TANGERANG (JP): Zimbabwean Ozias Sibanda, 33, became the fifth African to be arrested over drug possession this month, after custom officers at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport apprehended him, on Tuesday morning, for attempting to smuggle heroin into the country.

Director General of Customs and Excise Permana Agung said on Wednesday Ozias had swallowed 33 capsules containing heroin.

"In the past 25 hours, Ozias has excreted 16 of the capsules. We are waiting for all the capsules to be excreted," Permana told reporters at his office on Wednesday.

He added that his officers suspected that Ozias was carrying drugs as soon as he alighted, at 8:30 a.m., from a Singapore Airlines aircraft that had arrived from Lahore, Pakistan.

"As we were suspicious, we had him X-rayed at the airport clinic. The X-rays showed that he had capsules in his stomach," Permana said.

The heroin has a total street value here of Rp 389.6 million (US$41,000).

Customs officers at the airport had arrested on Monday Nigerian Hansen Anthony Nwaolisa, 35, after he disembarked from a Pakistan Airline aircraft, plying the Karachi-Jakarta route, for attempting to smuggle 800 grams of heroin into the country.

Customs officers at the airport had also arrested on Sunday South African Zwelbanzi Joseph Manana for attempting to smuggle 1.2 kilograms of heroin worth Rp 1.5 billion ($157,894).

Both Nwaolisa and Manana attempted to smuggle the drug into the country by swallowing the heroin capsules.

The officers became suspicious of the men and took them to the airport clinic for X-rays which confirmed the presence of capsules in their stomachs.

Meanwhile, a Nepalese, identified as Indra Bahadur Tamang, was arrested at the airport last week for attempting to smuggle 900g of heroin. The 21-year-old suspect was also found to have swallowed capsules containing heroin.

Soekarno-Hatta Airport customs officers had arrested on Jan. 10 Nigerian Samuel Iwuch Kwuokoje, 30, for attempting to smuggle 3.6 kgs of heroin which he hid in his suitcase.

Indonesia's narcotics Law No. 22/1997 stipulates that drug dealers or smugglers who are found guilty, will be given a death or life sentence.

Despite the threat of the severe penalty, narcotics are still easily available at some cafes and discotheques in Jakarta. (41/ylt)