Nine Aussies nabbed in major drug bust
Nine Aussies nabbed in major drug bust
I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar
Bali police nabbed nine Australian citizens for attempting to
smuggle a total of 10.9 kilograms of heroin worth almost Rp 11
billion (US$1.1 million) out of Bali and into Australia on Sunday
night.
It was the largest number of foreigners ever arrested in a
single drug bust on the island.
Five of the suspects were Caucasians identified as SME (29),
LR (28), MWC (19), SAR (19) and MJN (18).
Meanwhile, the rest of the suspects were Asians identified as
CA (21), TDTN (22), SYC (20) and MS (24). Except for LR, all the
suspects, currently being detained at the Bali Police
Headquarters, are men.
"So far, we have only conducted preliminary questioning. There
will be further interrogation after the arrival of their
lawyers," said chief of Bali Police narcotics division, Adj.
Comr. Bambang Sugiarto.
"We have not officially named them as suspects yet. We have
three days to determine whether all of them or only some of them
are suspects," Bali Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. AS Reniban
said.
In a press briefing held here on Monday afternoon, Bambang
Sugiarto said the operation started after the local police
received a tip from the Australian Federal Police about one month
ago.
The operation, which involved intensive, prolonged
surveillance of three separate hotels in Kuta, finally managed to
positively identified the people, believed to be the couriers for
an international drug-trafficking syndicate.
The narcotic officers, assisted by the intelligence,
immigration and security agents of the Ngurah Rai International
Airport, finally made their move on Sunday at around 8 p.m. local
time, or 7 p.m. Jakarta time.
Four suspects -- SME, LR, MWC and SAR -- were arrested in the
departure lounge of the airport's international departure
terminal, waiting for the flight that would take them to Sydney.
The officers searched the suspects and found packages of the
illicit drug strapped on to their stomach, back and thighs. SME
carried 3.3 kg, LR 2.7 kg, MWC 2.4 kg and SAR 2.5 kg.
"They evaded the detection of the police dogs by sprinkling
the outer layers of the packages with pepper," Sugiarto said.
At about the same time, several officers boarded the plane and
arrested another suspect, CA, who was leisurely reading a
newspaper. He was immediately taken out of the plane. A further
search failed to find any illegal substances on the body or in
the belongings of the suspected leader of the trafficking ring.
"Surveillance's reports show that CA was the person who
chaired the meetings of the suspects and issued directives to the
other suspects," Sugiarto stressed.
Some 30 minutes later, the officers raided a room at Hotel
Melasti in Kuta and rounded up the rest of the ring; TDTN, SYC,
MJN and MS, who was celebrating his 24th birthday on that day.
The officers also found 350 grams of heroin inside a bag in
the room.
All suspects could face the death sentence if found guilty on
charges of trafficking heroin.
A spokeswoman for the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, whose
name was not disclosed, told AFP the mission was aware of the
arrests and Canberra's consulate in Denpasar would be extending
legal assistance to the nine.