Bali police nabs drug suspects

DENPASAR, Bali: Narcotics detectives arrested five drug suspects and seized 18.2 grams of heroin valued at about Rp 12.7 million (US$1,411) in a series of raids in the resort areas of Kuta and Jimbaran.

Police identified the suspects as Daniel Siagian, 34, Hery Agus Sugiono, 33, Sundoro M. Prapanco Putro, 33, Yudha Blondi, 39, and Nasrul MS, 39. All of the suspects were arrested on Saturday and Sunday.

The chief of the Bali Police's narcotics division, Sr. Comr. Bambang Sugiarto, said on Monday the first arrests were made on Saturday evening when plainclothes officers stormed a house in Kuta's popular Poppies Lane II area rented by Hery and Daniel.

Officers seized three small packages of heroin stashed inside a hollowed out broom handle.

Officers then raided a house in the Taman Mulia housing complex in Jimbaran, where they arrested Sundoro. The suspect tried to swallow a packet of heroin and jumped into a small river that runs behind the house, but police were able to put the suspect into custody.

The other suspects were arrested in additional raids on Saturday and Sunday. -- JP