Police seek Thai for heroin distribution

JAKARTA (JP): The City Police are seeking a Thai for his alleged role in the local distribution of heroin brought into the country by a Nepalese, who was arrested after swallowing three heroin filled condoms.

"We've found strong indication that this Thai, whose identity is known to us, played a strong role in the distribution of heroin in this country," deputy to the chief of Narcotics Unit of the Crime Investigation Department, Maj. Djunaidy, told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

The officer, however, refused to give any information about the suspect's identity, or his whereabouts.

"We're still working on it and waiting for more details from the Nepalese, who is still being treated at the police hospital in Kramat Jati (in East Jakarta)," Djunaidy said.

The 30-year-old Nepalese, identified as Jimmy, was arrested by the officers at the Soekarno-Hatta international airport authorities on Oct. 1 shortly after he disembarked from a plane.

The airport authorities were suspicious of the man, who reportedly staggered in a corridor before toppling over in a drugged state near the departure hall's exit.

It is likely the suspect had realized the authorities were onto him and decided to swallow the three condoms which were filled with heroin capsules, in an attempt to avoid detection. But one of the condoms split in his stomach.

Based on a preliminary police investigation, the Nepalese was going to distribute the drugs in Denpasar, Bali, said officer Djunaidy.

"We find that he and his network had successfully carried out an earlier mission several months ago with Denpasar as his target," he said.

"The failure of his second arrival in this country has enabled us to get some details about his network and companions," he said but gave no further explanation.

An X-ray taken at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, the first hospital the Nepalese was taken to, showed a total of 103 capsules filled with heroin in the suspect's stomach.

According to Djunaidy, the capsules were still in the suspect's stomach as of yesterday.

"We're looking for ways to remove the capsules without having him in a serious condition. We are aware of the possibility of the remaining condoms splitting," he said. (bsr)