Three suspects arrested over sugar smuggling in Nias

Three suspects arrested over sugar smuggling in Nias

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra

The Nias Island police, North Sumatra, have arrested three men --
declaring them suspects in the sugar smuggling case -- while a
Chinese businessman, the main suspect, is still at large.

Nias Police Precinct Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Agoes D.L. told The
Jakarta Post by telephone on Friday that ship captain Riswal, a
mechanic, identified as Ed, and a storehouse owner, A Hu, had
been arrested over their involvement in the recent attempt to
smuggle 380 tons (not 270 tons as reported previously) of sugar
from Myanmar to Nias island.

"The three have confessed and we are compiling their dossier
to submit to the prosecutor's office in Gunung Sitoli, before the
trial of the case in the district court," he said, adding eight
other members of the ship's crew had been released as there was
no evidence of their involvement.

The smuggling attempt was foiled on Tuesday when ship Mitra
Niaga anchored at the Gunung Sitoli seaport to unload the sugar
-- which was brought from Myanmar after a stop-over in the
Malaysian seaport of Port Klang.

The ship's captain had confessed that he was paid by a Chinese
businessman identified as CC in the North Sumatra capital of
Medan, to transport the sugar to Nias and a storehouse belonging
to A Hu.

"The police are still hunting for the mastermind who is
believed to have remained in Medan," said Agoes.

Chief Detective of the Provincial Police Sr. Comr. Satria Hari
Prasetya said that the police would search for CC until he was
captured.

"The police have unloaded 98 tons of the sugar while the
remaining 284 tons is still inside the ship. This will be
confiscated as evidence," he said.

He said Riswal and Ed will be charged with violating the 1995
excise law carrying a maximum eight-year jail sentence while Ahu
will be charged with violating Article 480 of the Criminal Code,
with a maximum four-year jail sentence.

Satria said the smugglers were apparently using the province's
west coast as transit point for smuggling. They seemed to know
about the police's Octopus Operation that specifically targets
small seaports on the east coast run by private companies.

"That's why the smugglers have been trying to find new
locations in North Sumatra," he said.

He said that Tuesday's smuggling of sugar to Gunung Sitoli was
unusual as smugglers usually used ports in Belawan and Tanjung
Balai.