Crystal meth worth Rp 1 billion seized at airport

Customs and excise officers have foiled an attempt to smuggle into the country 900 grams of crystal methamphetamine worth Rp 1.35 billion (US$150,300) sent from Togo, Africa, via a delivery service company, at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

“The drugs were reported as samples of spare parts. They were wrapped in 14 plastic bags and were hidden in vehicle parts, such as a piston and cylinder,” Oze Olavia, customs office chief at the airport, said in a press conference on Thursday.

She said the drugs were detected by the airport customs tactical unit team, who were conducting a routine inspection of courier packages at the cargo warehouse.

Along with officers from the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), customs officers came to the delivery address on the package, in Pangkal Pinang, but did not arrest the intended recipient.

Drug busts have been steadily increasing in the country’s main international gate this year.

Since January, officers have foiled 31 smuggling attempts and seized a total of 67.7 kilograms of drugs, worth an estimated Rp 76.4 billion, comprising 36.9 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, 30.2 kilograms of ketamine and 10,330 ecstasy pills.

Officers have also arrested 10 Iranians, five Indonesians, five Malaysians, two Nigerians, two Taiwanese, a French man, a Filipino, a Kenyan, a Portuguese, an Italian and an Indian as suspects in these cases.