Airport customs chief Bahaduri Wijayanta said the Indian national, Rama Krisna S., attempted to smuggle 4.95 kilograms of ketamine worth Rp 4.9 billion (US$540,540), while the two Iranians, Rasulina Danimehran and Ahdori Masaud, were carrying 5.2 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine worth Rp 3.9 billion.

Bahaduri said Rama arrived from Bangkok on Thursday on a Thai Airways flight and “hid the drugs
in a carton… he looked nervous”.

He added that profiling by officers at the terminal resulted in Rama’s arrest.

He said that the suspect claimed this was his first visit to Jakarta and that he had been instructed him to bring the drugs to a connection in Jakarta.

“No one came to meet him to pick up the drugs at the agreed meeting place,” Bahaduri said.

Customs and excise chief of prosecutions Gatot Sugeng Wibowo said the two Iranian nationals arrived at the airport on Friday on an Emirates flight from Abu Dhabi.  

“We believe the suspects were part of an international drug-trafficking syndicate in their home country,” he said.

The number of attempts to smuggle drugs has continued to increase at the airport despite the implementation of the 2009 Narcotics Law, which threatens harsher sanctions for would-be smugglers.

“Under the new law, suspects could face the death sentence should they be found guilty of
smuggling drugs into the country,” Gatot said.

He added that the number of drug smuggling cases foiled at the airport increased from 9 in 2008 to 34 cases in 2009.

As of April this year, officers have busted 18 drug smuggling attempts and seized more than 50 kilograms of drugs.

“We’re arresting more smugglers our officers are on alert for suspicious passengers arriving
at the airport,” Gatot told The Jakarta Post.

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