Police seize biggest ganja haul of the year

JAKARTA (JP): Police arrested a university student from Aceh province and seized 245 kilograms of marijuana -- the biggest haul this year -- in his possession on Thursday.

The suspect was identified as Donny Wardana Waris, 29, a resident of Saumeru subdistrict, Sukamakmur district in Aceh Besar, Jakarta Police detective chief Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo said.

Alex said two other suspects escaped. He declined to disclose their identities because police needed to conduct further investigation to identify the major dealers in the drug syndicate.

"They are probably reporting to their boss that their friend is in custody now," Alex said.

Sources close to the investigation said the two were undercover police officers who have long been part of a marijuana syndicate.

They said that Donny was unable to escape in the red Kijang van but his two accomplices managed to flee from police during the raid at 12 p.m. at Jembatan Genit in West Jakarta.

Donny, a student of Abbul Yatama University, and the two others had arrived in the capital after driving from Aceh. They stopped at Teluk Gong after they left Merak Port.

Inside the van were four large sacks and three plastic bags containing marijuana.

"Suddenly two cars passed us and cut us off," Donny said. "I thought we were about to be robbed because the men pulled out pistols and ordered us to get out of the van."

He said he was told to accompany the two to Jakarta in the van, which belonged to a friend, but he did not know they were carrying drugs. "I didn't know anything about the marijuana."

The obviously confused Donny told reporters that police pressed him to disclose where the marijuana was headed.

Alex said narcotics police have closely watched the trafficking of marijuana from Sumatra sent overland.

Some groups have used couriers or bus companies, with others sending the drug in private vehicles, Alex said.

He said his officers made several trips to Aceh and neighboring North Sumatra to trace routes of the traffickers.

"This raid is one of our attempts to cut the distribution by blocking them when they're about to enter Jakarta," Alex said.

"If the Tangerang Police can confiscate 115. 5 kilograms, why can't we get more than that?"

On Wednesday, the Tangerang Military District Command seized 115.5 kilograms of marijuana, concealed in boxes of mangoes, which arrived on a bus from Aceh.

The military also arrested egg seller Munawar Abdul Aneuk, 32, a resident of Ciputat in Tangerang, who picked up the boxes.

Officers were suspicious because the boxes seemed unusually light to be carrying mangoes.

The evidence and the suspect have been handed over to the Tangerang Police for further investigation.(emf)