Smuggler had 20,800 ectasy pills

Smuggler had 20,800 ectasy pills

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang

Indonesian customs and excise officers at the Soekarno-Hatta
International Airport arrested a Singaporean citizen on Wednesday
for attempting to smuggle around 20,800 ecstasy pills worth Rp
1.5 billion (US$173,410) to Sydney, Australia.

Customs and excise chief Novrial said on Friday the suspect
--identified as Tay Lai Hock, 31 -- was entering the immigration
check point to depart to Sydney when a security officer in the
area became suspicious. Apparently, the suspect had appeared
nervous on passing a row of security officers and his body shape
looked strange.

He said the officers searched Tay, whereupon they found four
plastic bags of pills strapped to his body. A test confirmed the
pills were ecstasy pills.

Novrial said Tay had violated Law No. 5/1997 on narcotics and
psychotropic substances. If convicted, the suspect could face the
firing squad.

Since the enforcement of the narcotics law, the Tangerang
District Court has sentenced many drug traffickers to death, but
no convict has been executed for the crime.

To date, the court has sentenced 23 people to death including
six women and five Indonesians. The rest are foreigners, who were
arrested at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in
Cengkareng, Tangerang, while trying to smuggle illegal drugs in
or out of the country.

At least five of the 23 convicts have been granted life
sentences by higher courts.

Since they have the right to file an appeal, many of the
convicts are awaiting the decision of the Supreme Court on their
appeal, while others are seeking presidential clemency.

Drugs are not the only commodity to be smuggled in or out of
the country. Since January this year, a task force at the airport
has foiled several smuggling attempts of cultural property from
Indonesia to France and the Netherlands using cargo and postal
delivery services.

The smuggled cultural property comprised two human skulls, 21
antique kris, six antique swords, an antique belt and 108
historic photographs.

Novrial said the six suspects -- one French citizen and five
Dutch citizens -- have violated Law No. 5/1991 on the protection
of cultural property.

The officers also foiled a protected animals smuggling attempt
to South Korea, South Africa and Japan. They seized 150 Jardine
Arwana fish, 717 pig-nosed turtles and 60 pieces of live coral at
the cargo warehouse.

In April, officers foiled the smuggling attempt of 8,800 DVD
films, 13,300 Play Station DVDs and eight master VCDs into the
country.