Smuggling attempts foiled at airport

TANGERANG (JP): Customs officers at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport have foiled attempts to smuggle in via postal services marijuana, Viagra pills, VCDs and stun weapons worth billions of rupiah to and from Jakarta.

Exposing the confiscated materials to the media on Tuesday, head of the airport's Custom and Excise Office, Heru Santoso, said 34.3 kilograms of marijuana from Banda Aceh and 10,347 copies of VCDs, 330 Viagra pills and dozens of stun guns, arrows and laser pens were detected in mailed packages between Nov. 11 and Dec. 18.

Heru gave no reason why the seizure was not revealed to the media sooner.

No one was arrested, but he said the customs office was cooperating with the Jakarta Police in further investigations.

According to Heru, the goods were detected "thanks to the alertness of customs and excise officers at the airport" in scanning every piece of material to be sent or received.

The marijuana, for example, was packed in several boxes which were then wrapped with plastic film and mixed with souvenirs and food to avoid detection by X-ray, he said.

When the air mail packages arrived at the airport on Nov. 29 and Nov. 30, the customs officers became suspicious and immediately inspected them, Heru said.

The marijuana, which is in the form of leaf, stalks and seeds, is estimated to have a street value of Rp 343 million, he added.

Heru named neither the sender of the packages nor the addressees but said that those involved in such drug shipments could be charged under Law No. 22/1997 on narcotics which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison or a Rp 750 million fine.

The VCDs were about to be sent to the Philippines and Singapore in well-wrapped boxes on Nov. 27 and Dec. 5 when the customs officers detected them.

"On the documents, the exporter claimed that the materials were computer parts and educational VCDs," Heru said.

The Viagra pills, the sale of which is prohibited in the country, arrived via Express Mail Service, he said. (41/ivy)