Businessmen face Ecstasy charges

SEMARANG, Central Java: The immigration office has barred 10 businessmen, charged with smuggling 108,290 Ecstasy pills, from traveling abroad.

Head of the office Sri Triswojo said yesterday he would revoke the businessmen's passports if the police investigation now underway found them guilty.

The city police said the pills were illegally imported from Hong Kong, Thailand, Germany, Pakistan and the Netherlands.

"Our law does not discriminate. We will crush those who commit this crime," Semarang city police chief Col. Soewondo said.

He said the quantity of the illegal pills found by the immigration office could be the biggest in the country so far. (har/amd)