Drug smuggling foiled at Jakarta airport
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang | Thu, 10/15/2009 5:03 PM
Customs officers have seized 8.4 kilograms of ketamine worth Rp 7.4 billion at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang.
Banten Regional Custom Offices chief Bachtiar said the drug was carried by an Indian national identified as Murli Banomal Nagdev, 54, who arrived on a Garuda flight at the airport on Wednesday.
“Scanning devices could not detect the drug concealed in calf protectors [sport apparel] he carried in his luggage, but officers became suspicious because the suspect looked nervous,” he told journalists in a press conference at the airport on Thursday.
Officers then asked him to open the luggage where they found white powder in 17 plastic bags under the sport apparel.
“A narcotics test later confirmed the white powder was ketamine,” he said, adding the suspect claimed he intended to sell the drug on the market by himself.
However, Bactiar said officers did not believe the suspect’s testimony because he had earlier testified that he was given Rp 3 million by someone before leaving India and had transited through Singapore.
“I was not paid. I was just asked to carry the luggage to Jakarta and was given Rp 3 million,” Nagdev told The Jakarta Post.
The suspect is facing a maximum ten-year jail term for violating Articles 102 and 103 of the 1992 law on health.
Earlier this week, officers also seized 1 kilogram of crystal methamphetamine worth Rp 1.4 billion from a Malaysian-Chinese citizen identified as Han Moen King, aged 27.
The suspect arrived from Hong Kong on Tuesday at the airport aboard Cathay Pacific flight CI 679.
“Both of the smuggling attempts used new modus and officers were almost deceived by the suspect because he concealed the drug under his shoes,” Bactiar added.
Meanwhile airport custom office chief Bahaduri Wijayanta said that officers had intercepted more smuggling attempts at the airport this year compared to the year before.
“Based on customs and excise office records, there have been 18 foiled smuggling attempts this year, as compared to 15 recorded cases last year,” he said.
