City police detectives to check HK drug cases

City police detectives to check HK drug cases

JAKARTA (JP): A six-member team of police detectives, led by
Jakarta Police detective chief Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo, is
leaving for Hong Kong on Saturday, in connection with the arrest
of 12 Indonesians by the administrative region's customs officers
for illegal drugs possession.

Alex said the police detectives would arrange meetings with
the local officials and also with the jailed Indonesians.

"If possible we will hear from the suspects (concerning) any
information about drug syndicates in our country," he said.

Asked whether the Indonesian police would seek their release,
he said: "they deserve the punishment... but as they're
questioned there, we want to hear from them about their illegal
businesses."

Alex said he strongly believed that operators of drug
marketing enterprises and other narcotic-related criminal
activity in the country had an extensive network with neighboring
countries, including Hong Kong.

"The number of Indonesian nationals arrested while trying to
smuggle drugs in Hong Kong demonstrates our country's involvement
in international drug syndicates, either as suppliers or as
traffickers."

He, however, insisted that Indonesia had yet to be proven as a
a site for substantial drug production.

"The quality of our locally fabricated drugs, such as cheap
ecstasy pills, is far below those made in Thailand."

The 12 Indonesians were arrested at Hong Kong airport between
February 1998 and April 1999 for alleged drug smuggling. The
drugs were detected within the suspects' digestive tracts or
within their luggage.

The suspects, aged between 27 to 47, were apprehended for
possession of a variety of drugs, including amphetamines,
methamphetamine, N-methylephedrine hydrochlorine and ecstasy
pills. (emf)