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.