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n an effort to curb drug trafficking in Asia, Interpol, alongside the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States and the Australian Federal Police will carry out investigations in Surabaya, which is believed to be an international drug trading hub in Indonesia, an official has said.

The three international police forces were prompted to conduct the investigation following the foiled smuggling attempts of 2.67 kilograms of heroin from Thailand with a street value of Rp 5.34 billion (US$485,0000) and 8,790 Ecstasy pills from Guang Dong, China, at the Juanda Airport in Surabaya on April 23 and 24.

Chief of the Narcotics Directorate at the East Java Police Adj. Sr. Comr. Sudirman said the three foreign police forces had contacted his unit because they believed Surabaya was a drug hub for drugs from China, Thailand and Malaysia, and even from Brazil and European countries.

"We will work together with the three police forces to uncover the international drug trafficking network following the busts at the airport," Sudirman told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Drug courier Chanrem Suwanson, 27, was caught by customs officers and security guards at Juanda Airport on April 23 at around 5:00 p.m. local time in possession of 2.67 kg of heroin in her luggage. The contraband was packed in two aluminum foil bags, each weighing 1.270 kg and 1.401 kg.

Around 17 hours later, officers again arrested Lin Gin Qing, 24, who was carrying 8,790 Ecstasy pills of the butterfly variety, 163.4 grams of ketamine (an ingredient in crystal methamphetamine, or shabu), $500 Nigerian, $30 Hong Kong, 856 Chinese yuan, $19 Singapore, US$412. Police believe the heroin, Ecstasy pills and shabu ingredients were destined for Jakarta and Bali.

Sudirman said police were still detaining Suwanson, from Thailand, and Gin Qing, from China, for further questioning.

"They have asked to be deported to their countries of origin, but we will still keep them for questioning. We are currently linking the cases to the international drug syndicate from Brazil and the Bali Nine case," said Sudirman.

The Bali Nine is a term coined by the media to nine Australians who were caught in April 2005 in Bali for smuggling out 8.2 kg of heroin to Australia from Indonesia.

Two of them, gang leader Andrew Chan, 21, and Myuran Sukumaran, 24, were sentenced to death by the Denpasar District Court in February 2006. The sentences were further strengthened by the Denpasar High Court in April 2006. The others were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Separately, East Java Police Chief Insp. Gen. Anton Bachrul Alam said police would intensify drug operations in Surabaya and surrounding areas because police have uncovered almost a 50 percent rise in the number of drug trafficking cases each year.

"Police have disclosed 764 drug trafficking cases from January until March this year and arrested 1,001 suspects. The busts include the shabu factory in Surabaya, which was believed to be the production center of crystal methamphetamine in Indonesia."

In 2008, police were able to disclose 2,575 drug cases and named 3,287 suspects, a rise in number compared to 2007 with 2,225 cases and 2,787 suspects and 2006 with 1,372 cases and 2,407 suspects.