Police chasing Zarina's friends

Police chasing Zarina's friends

INDRAMAYU, West Java (JP): Police detectives are still trying
to locate two men believed to be connected to Ecstasy-suspect
Zarina, who was arrested in Houston, U.S. recently, National
Police Spokesman Brig. Gen. Nurfaizi said.

Nurfaizi said the two men, identified only as R and Ed, have
been missing since the 24-year-old Zarina was arrested last
August.

Police believe the two could reveal where the 29,677 pills
found in a safety box in Zarina's possession were from. Zarina
has been charged for possessing the drug.

"The two men disappeared shortly after the news of the arrest
of Zarina sparked widely," the officer said.

"They are now believed to have been hiding somewhere in
Europe," said Nurfaizi, who was inspecting the preparation of
police traffic arrangements for the Christmas and New Year
holiday peak season West and Central Java towns.

Unofficial sources said the two were still in Jakarta.

Zarina, who was arrested in Houston last week by U.S
immigration officials early last week, said she had no idea the
box contained drugs.

She was quoted by her father, businessman Mirafsur K, as
saying on Thursday the safety box police found was her friend's.

Mirafsur said Zarina forgot the name of the owner, but police
quoting Zarina's confession said the man was identified only as
R.

Zarina said she was asked by R to keep the box for him. She
said he told her it contained cash.

Mirafsur said the house where the box was found was not rented
by Zarina but her boyfriend Edwin.

The identities of R and Ed are unknown, but police sources
said R was well-known among drug traffickers.

"He's a big player and Zarina, a newcomer in the illegal
business, wants to get the same status in a speedy way," the
sources said.

Nurfaizi, once head of the Jakarta detectives, said: "In my
personal opinion, Zarina is not part of a big syndicate."

Zarina was arrested by Tangerang police detectives on Aug. 7
for possessing Ecstasy pills in a box at her home in the Taman
Alfa Indah housing complex in Joglo, West Jakarta. She escaped
during a police escort the next day.

Following her escape, head of the Tangerang police detectives
was dismissed and will face a military tribunal over the
incident.

Zarina, who was arrested in Houston for entering the U.S. with
false documents, will stand trial today in a U.S. court for the
offense.

She is expected to arrive in Jakarta on Monday to face a local
court on Ecstasy-related charges.

During interrogation by Jakarta police in Houston, Zarina said
no one arranged her escape.

But police in Jakarta have a photo of a man they believed was
involved in Zarina's escape, a source said.

When asked for confirmation, Nurfaizi said: "We're now eying a
number of people who we believe have played significant roles in
both the presence of drugs in Zarina's possession and her
escape." (bsr)