Customs and excise officers at the international airport say they foiled an attempt to smuggle 9.4 kilograms of shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) into the country Sunday.
Eko Darmanto, chief of intelligence at the customs office, said Monday the suspects arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport from Hong Kong at about 5 p.m. on Sunday.
The suspects were identified as Malaysian nationals Thor Li Hwa, 36, Tan Sew Hua, 42, and Pe Mee Yee, 33.
Eko said the suspects kept the drugs -- worth between Rp 10 and Rp 15 billion -- in three water filter tubes.
"The officers at the checkpoint asked them what was inside the tubes, but they claimed to have no knowledge of the contents," he said.
In the questioning room, the officers opened the tubes and found 16 plastic bags of white powder. The subsequent tests confirmed the substance was crystal meth.
Tan, who was in Indonesia for the second time, said he and Yee flew to Hong Kong from Kuala Lumpur on Friday and met Thor there. The latter then introduced them to A. Shiong, who promised them 30,000 Malaysian ringgit or Rp 90 million (US$9,473) if they would accompany Thor to Jakarta to hand the tubes to a person who would contact them upon their arrival.
During the interrogation, the suspects gave the officers the name of a hotel where their contact person in Jakarta was supposedly waiting.
"We could not find the person," Eko said.
Eko said the shabu-shabu was of the best quality ever smuggled into the country from Hong Kong.
"We believe the drug syndicate usually sends its people to carry drugs into the country in at least five different groups at the same time.
"If one fails, four others can still smuggle the drugs in through other ports in the country," he said.
If found guilty, the suspects could face 15-year prison terms as stipulated in the 1997 law on psychotropic substances.
