RI woman charged in Pakistan

JAKARTA (JP): Customs officers at Pakistan's Quaid Azzam International Airport arrested a 29-year-old Indonesian woman last week for allegedly attempting to smuggle 3.4 kilograms of shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) out of the country.

"Sri Yanti, who is from Jakarta, was arrested on Oct. 23 carrying a passport issued by the West Sumatra Immigration Office," Jakarta Police detectives chief Alex Bambang Riatmodjo said on Sunday.

"She had been vacationing in Punjab and Islamabad, and was about to return to Jakarta on a Singapore Airlines flight on Oct. 23. Customs officers became suspicious when they saw white dots on the X-ray examination of her purse.

"They stopped her, ripped out the lower portion of her purse and found the shabu-shabu. She said she bought the drug from a man who is currently staying at Hotel Mulia Senayan in Central Jakarta."

Alex said Yanti claimed that she was a courier who intended to sell the goods for US$2,500 in Afghanistan. He did not explain why Yanti was returning to Jakarta with the drug.

"Most probably, her case will be tried in Pakistan itself," Alex said.

Indonesian national Ruth Elizabeth, 26, was caught at the same airport in mid-August for attempting to smuggle 3.3 kilograms of heroin into the country.

Separately, police apprehended four people, including a Dutch national, at Hotel Radisson on Jl. Pecenongan, Central Jakarta, for possession of drugs and firearms on Friday evening. Another man was arrested at an apartment.

Police found 1.5 kilograms of shabu-shabu, 806 ecstasy pills and nine kilograms of raw materials to make ecstasy. They also found 11 bullets of the .22 millimeter caliber, two .22 millimeter Colt revolvers and a FN .22 millimeter Colt.

Alex identified the five as 33-year-old Yung Tak Sun, alias Joni, a Dutch national, San Tatomi, 31, who owns an apartment at Juanda Apartments in Central Jakarta, Burhan, 41, of Citra Garden II housing complex in Kalideres, West Jakarta, and Selvi Agustina, 18, of Jl. Budi Rahayu in Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta.

Also arrested was Joe Robert, 41, who was caught at his apartment at Juanda Apartments. (ylt)