Police seize biggest ganja haul ever

Police seize biggest ganja haul ever

JAKARTA (JP): Police seized 602 kilograms of marijuana, worth
about Rp 1.2 billion (US$150,500), from four of five suspected
drug dealers in a single raid early Sunday morning, the city
police detective chief said on Tuesday.

Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo said the four suspects were
identified as Amirudin, 41, Ramlih, 30, Abdullah Idris, 21, and
Ega Erwin, 26. They were all assistants to Rachmad, a resident of
Ciputat subdistrict, Tangerang. Rachmad is still at large.

"In all the years of my career in the city police, I think
this is our single biggest catch ever. It is Aceh marijuana,"
Alex said.

Earlier in July, city police detectives seized 245 kilograms
of marijuana from an Aceh university student recently returned
from Aceh with two friends.

Capt. Syafi'i of the city police detectives corps, who led the
raid, said they had received a tip-off from residents of Lengkong
Wetan, Serpong subdistrict, Tangerang, about two weeks ago.

"They told us that they spotted ongoing activities in a
warehouse, owned by Rachmad, where trucks came in and out all day
and night," he said.

Syafi'i said Rachmad told the residents that he was a
carpenter who made doors and gates. He also told them that he was
a part time salesman for a car showroom.

"We became suspicious when residents told us that there was a
sickly sweet smell that originated from the warehouse. They said
they were disturbed. But that was two weeks ago."

Syafi'i said police had received information in the last two
weeks that at least two trucks, loaded with 1,000 kilograms of
marijuana, would drive from Aceh to Jelambar subdistrict, West
Jakarta. The trucks would reportedly then shift their cargo to
Tangerang.

"These dealers were so clever. They kept on changing the
routes and the stopover places. The only communication equipment
they used were cell phones, but they really gave us a hard time,
until Sept. 12, at about 1 a.m.," he said.

"We caught Amirudin and Ramlih, driving a truck along Jl.
Kedaung Raya, Ciputat. They had most likely already unloaded a
part of the marijuana somewhere in Tangerang. We caught them with
381 kilograms of marijuana."

The two led the police to the warehouse owned by Rachmad. The
warehouse was opened by Ega and Abdullah, who were also arrested
at the warehouse.

The police seized 221 kilograms of marijuana from the
warehouse, Syafi'i said.

Capt. Riad, another officer who participated at the raid, said
Rachmad's newly married wife Siti Mariah lived next door to the
warehouse.

"Siti told us that their wedding reception was due to take
place on Saturday night, Sept. 18. When we asked her how she was
going to finance the reception, she said Rachmad had promised to
give her the money," Riad said.

"She fainted when we told her about her husband's true job. We
are still waiting to apprehend Rachmad, who's somewhere in
Tangerang and has the remaining 398 kilograms (marijuana) with
him." (ylt)