Customs and excise officers at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport foiled a drug smuggling attempt involving 2.3 kilograms of shabu-shabu (crystal methampethamine) and 400 grams of ketamine from Hong Kong, an official said Wednesday.

They also arrested two Taiwanese passengers identified as Chao Peng Chi, 39, and Chen Kuo Sung, 50. The seized drugs were estimated to be worth Rp 7.9 billion (US$850,000).

Airport customs office chief Rahmat Subagio said the suspects arrived at the airport Tuesday at midnight on board the Viva Macao ZG 101 flight.

In the suspects' luggage, officers found snack boxes and cans containing the drugs wrapped in several aluminum foil bags, Rahmat said.

Officers also conducted a body search on Chao Peng Chi and found a bag of shabu-shabu strapped to his trousers.

Both suspects claimed they had never visited Indonesia before.

Chao Peng Chi and Chen Kuo Sung said a man called Aseng promised them RMB 15,000 upon delivery.

Eko Darmanto, chief of intelligence at the customs office, said it was the seventh drug smuggling attempt customs officers foiled this year.

He said officers had paid more attention to passengers arriving from countries deemed high-risk for drug smuggling. China, including Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Malaysia and Latin American countries are on the list.

He said the customs office had arrested a total of 16 suspected drug smugglers in foiled attempts since January. The suspects were identified as eight Taiwanese, three Chinese-Malaysians, two Thais, a British man and two Indonesians.

The suspects were handed over to airport police for further investigation and legal procedures.

The suspects could be charged with breaking a 1997 law on psychotropic substances. The maximum punishment is a 10-year imprisonment with a Rp 300 million fine. -JP

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