Cocaine found at airport

Garuda Indonesia mechanic working in Soekarno- Hatta International Airport's maintenance center found 3.2 kilograms of cocaine in a cabin locker of a cargo airplane.

Tangerang Police chief Adj. Comr. Harry Prastowo said on Monday that the aircraft, which was operated by the British Airways company, had been parked for three weeks at the airport's maintenance center for repairs.

He said that the mechanic, identified only by his initials as SBD, was working in the aircraft's cabin.

"When the mechanic unintentionally opened the locker last week, he saw three black boxes containing plastic packets," he told the media.

He said that when the curious mechanic tried to open the packets, he found three white plastic bags containing a white powder underneath.

The mechanic, who suspected that the plastic bags contained heroin, then contacted a friend who is a police officer at Tangerang Police Headquarters.

A police laboratory test confirmed that the three plastic bags contained 3.2 kilograms of cocaine.

Harry said that the evidence would soon be turned over to National Police Headquarters for further investigation.--JP