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.