Police seize 3.7 kilograms of heroin in record haul
Police seize 3.7 kilograms of heroin in record haul
JAKARTA (JP): Police have arrested three foreigners holding
Nigerian passports for their alleged involvement in the smuggling
of 3.7 kilograms of first-grade heroin into the country from
Thailand, a senior officer said yesterday.
The seized heroin, with a street value of US$555,000, is
believed to be the country's largest drug haul this year.
Thursday's arrest followed Wednesday's detention of three
foreigners -- a Thai, Liberian and Nigerian -- who were allegedly
negotiating a deal for 1.7 kilograms of a high-grade heroin.
The director of the National Police narcotics and dangerous
substances unit, Col. Wilhelmus Laturette, said both batches of
heroin were smuggled in on the same Thai Airlines flight from
Bangkok.
"But there has been no evidence, so far, which can prove a
connection between the two gangs," Laturette said, adding that
all the suspects were still being interrogated.
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Trimada Dani identified
the three Nigerians as Okechukwu Halliday, alias Collins, 26,
Charles Uche, 32 and Richard Abuator, 33.
"They arrived here on tourist visas," the spokesman said.
He said the three were arrested Thursday evening during an
alleged drug delivery at Menteng Dua Hotel on Jl. Cikini in
Central Jakarta.
"They were busted after receiving the smuggled heroin from an
undercover cop," Trimada said.
The 3.7 kilos of heroin was packed in a black canvas suitcase,
which was left on board the airplane, and was picked up by an
undercover police detective at the request of a man, who called
the Lost & Found section of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
claiming the bag as his.
The man then asked the section's employee to deliver it to the
Menteng Dua Hotel, Trimada said.
According to Laturette, the luggage tag had Halliday's
nickname, Collins, written on it.
"The abandoned suitcase had accidentally continued on to the
flight's next destination in Australia. But it was returned here
Thursday and was kept in the airport's Lost & Found section
because nobody came to pick it up," the officer said.
Laturette said that Halliday might have intentionally left the
suitcase on the plane when he arrived Wednesday.
"At least, there is a possibility that one of them was the
person who smuggled the heroin," he said.
The same flight was also used by a Thai woman -- who was
arrested Wednesday evening along with a Liberian and a Nigerian
-- to smuggle 1.7 kilos of heroin, Laturette alleged.
"Halliday's name was on the passenger list together with Laor
Treekhem (the Thai)," he said.
Treekhem was arrested a couple of hours after checking in to a
room in the small Petamburan Hotel in Tanah Abang, Central
Jakarta, together with Liberian John Brown and Nigerian Melvin
Chiguzie.
The two were in the process of negotiating a drug deal, police
allege.
According to Trimada, the suspects would be charged under
Article 83 of the 1997 Narcotics Law No. 22 on the smuggling of
heroin.
The article stipulates a penalty of 20 years in jail and a
fine of Rp 1 billion (US$303,303).
The head of special operations at the airport's customs
office, Endang Tata, said his office had suspected the abandoned
suitcase contained illegal goods.
"We always pay more attention to passengers and baggage that
come from particular countries which are often connected to
drugs," Endang said. (cst)
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