Police confirm escape of alleged heroin smuggler
Police confirm escape of alleged heroin smuggler
JAKARTA (JP): National Police confirmed yesterday the escape
of an alleged heroin smuggler, Limbane Cosmo, from one of its
detention centers, while the Directorate General of Immigration
alerted its offices to prevent the fugitive from leaving the
country.
Brig. Gen. Nurfaizi, spokesman for the National Police, said
he had no idea how the South African passport holder could have
escaped from his cell.
He said investigation into the matter was currently underway
and officers on duty Monday, when the suspect was believed to
have escaped, were being questioned.
"Those involved in arranging the suspect's escape will get
harsh punishment based on legal procedure," he said following a
press conference giving directives on campaigning for the coming
general election.
Speculations about the escape of Limbane spread Monday, but no
police officers were willing to confirm it.
Meanwhile, Spokesman for the Directorate General of
Immigration Mursanudin A. Ghani, said yesterday circulars had
been sent to all immigration offices throughout the country to
close the door on the 31-year-old suspect.
The circulars signed by Zaiman Nurmatias, director of
supervision and operation office, ordered all immigration
officials to stop the suspect from leaving the country and turn
him into local police.
Nurfaizi called on the public to participate in the rearrest
of the suspect.
Limbane Cosmo arrived at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta
international airport from Bangkok via Singapore on Jan. 8 with
320 grams of heroin in 25 capsules.
Nisfu Chasbullah, the airport Customs and Excise Office's
chief said the suspect swallowed 11 capsules, keeping the
remaining 14 capsules in his jeans.
This was revealed after airport Customs and Excise officers
found him collapsed upon arrival.
"Some of the capsules probably leaked causing him to
collapse," Nisfu said.
The officers assumed the suspect was suffering from a heart
attack until they found 14 capsules in his jeans.
The suspect held a South African passport. However, soon after
his arrest the South African embassy denied he was a South
African citizen.
The embassy said the passport was reported stolen some months
earlier.
It was the second escape of an alleged heroin smuggler from
police custody.
A Ghanaian in City Police detention for smuggling 600 grams of
heroin escaped in October 1995 before being recaptured in April
last year.
No single police officer was punished for helping him escape
detention.
The man, Ibrahim S., was found guilty by the Jakarta District
Court and is serving 20 years jail term for the offense.
(04/sur)