Four foreigners nabbed for drugs

Four foreigners nabbed for drugs

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali

Police have arrested four foreigners -- a New Zealander, a
Frenchman, a Brazilian and an Argentinean -- for alleged drug
dealing.

Bali Police narcotics head Sr. Adj. Comr. Bambang Sugiarto
said police had confiscated 488 grams of hashish, 45.3 grams of
cocaine and 0.2 grams of heroin from the men.

The suspects were believed to be involved in a drug ring
spanning Thailand, Jakarta and Bali, he said.

"We know that the drug dealers operating in Bali no longer use
local people. They (the arrested) traders and users are all
foreigners," Bambang told a news conference in Denpasar, Bali.

He said the four were arrested during a week-long operation.

A few days ago, police detectives began monitoring the home of
New Zealander Andrew Thomas Bredow, 37, in his rented house on Jl
Nakula in Kuta, 15 kilometers south of Denpasar.

As police moved in to raid the house, Bredow allegedly threw
two packages of heroin wrapped in straws into his front yard. He
was arrested.

From Bredow, police tracked down another suspect, Gerard
Dejussieu, a 49-year-old French citizen. He was arrested at a bar
in Kuta.

"When we entered the bar, Dejussieu and his five friends were
quite shocked. He spontaneously swallowed a small plastic bag
containing cocaine," a police officer said.

The police finally confiscated three plastic clip tops
(emptied plastic pill containers) containing 1.9 grams of
cocaine. Dejussieu was later identified as a suspected drug
dealer.

Later, police captured Rogerio Pecanza Paez, a 48-year-old
Brazilian, at his rented house in Oberoi in Kuta, where they
found 146 grams of hashish under his cupboard. At least 43.4
grams of cocaine and a green ecstasy pill were also discovered.

Paez revealed his network, which also involved Garcia Vieyra
Federico, 24, from Argentina.

Bambang said Federico was a professional drug dealer who
procured drugs, such as hashish, cocaine and heroin, from
Thailand and brought them to Bali via Jakarta.

"One of the detectives had to fight Federico to arrest him.
The suspect is also a Ju Jitsu instructor. He also tried to throw
away evidence from his hands."

Police seized 301.2 grams of hashish from Federico, he added.

In a separate drug operation, police arrested four Indonesians
-- I Nyoman Suamba, Sri Purestini, Samsul Hadi and Sorimuda
Nasution.

Some 401 grams of heroin valued at Rp 240 million were seized
from Sorimuda.

Last year, Bali police arrested a British man with more than
8,000 ecstasy pills.

At least five foreigners are awaiting execution for drug
offenses in other parts of Indonesia, where poor law enforcement,
corruption and high demand make for a lucrative market for drug
dealers.