Police foil drug smuggling attempt

TANGERANG (JP): Tangerang Police foiled on Thursday night a drug smuggling attempt by a suspected member of an international drug trafficking syndicate, an official said on Friday.

Tangerang Police chief Lt. Col. Pudji Hartanto said police officers confiscated two kilograms of shabu-shabu (crystal metamphetamine) worth hundreds of millions of rupiah from the suspect. Three passports were also seized.

Tangerang Police chief Lt. Col. Pudji Hartanto identified the suspect only as Michael, 35, of Taiwan.

The smuggling attempt was uncovered when Soekarno-Hatta International Airport customs officers became suspicious about a package arriving from Hong Kong. It was addressed to a woman, Eva, at an apartment in Rasuna Said, South Jakarta.

When X-raying the package, officers found two kilograms of shabu-shabu in the package.

Both airport police chief Capt. Titik Valentine and Second Lt. Kristanto immediately went to Eva's residence to ask about the package.

Eva strongly denied that the package belonged to her and told the two officers that it belonged to Michael, who was staying in Astika Hotel in Mangga Besar, West Jakarta.

"We've questioned Michael, Eva and Neli, one of the suspect's friends," Pudji said.

He said it was believed the three were involved in drug smuggling into the country, adding that the operation covers Hong Kong, the Philippines and other ASEAN countries. (41/ivy)