The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the South Sulawesi Police have busted a drug-trafficking ring involving people in Makassar and Jayapura, Papua.

“We received information on March 17 on a consignment of drugs to be sent Jayapura,” Richard Naenggolan, the head of the BNN’s South Sulawesi office, said.

“We then used the delivery control number to confirm the information, and it turned out that a drug package had been sent to Jayapura from Makassar via courier,” Richard said.

While a consignment receipt confiscated from suspect Gafur, 32, said that the package, sent by an Agus Wijaya from Makassar, contained documents, the contents were narcotics.

“We arrested Gafur as he picked up the package at the courier service office in Jayapura. After examining it, the package was in fact filled with 2 grams of crystal methamphetamine,” Richard said.

South Sulawesi Police Narcotics Directorate chief Sr. Comr. Bambang Sukardi said that while one team of officers made arrests in Jayapura, another team checked the address in Makassar and found that the sender of the package was a woman named Rizki, 28, who was arrested on the same day with her male companion Anwar, 39.

Rizki and Anwar told investigators that they had previously sent six packages of crystal meth to Gafur, according to police.

“Rizki admitted that she bought the drugs from an unidentified person for Rp 2.2 million [US$240] per gram and then sold it in Jayapura for Rp 4 million,” Bambang said.

Officers took several items into evidence at Rizki’s home, including a gram of crystal meth, a computer and plastic bags believed to be used to pack the contraband.

According to the police, Rizki is a recidivist and was previously sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment in 2010 for drug possession.

The suspects have been detained at South Sulawesi Police headquarters and charged with offenses under the Narcotics Law that carry a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment.

Since the establishment of a joint task force by the BNN and the South Sulawesi Police in 2012, four drug cases have been brought to light, involving the arrests of 11 people and the confiscation of 1.3 kilograms of crystal meth.

Bambang said that the number of drug-trafficking cases in the province has risen over the years.

“From 2010 to 2011, the number of cases increased by 36 percent, and by 16 percent from 2011 to 2012,” Bambang said.

According to the South Sulawesi Police, in 2010, police dealt with 481 drug cases and named 726 suspects.

In 2011, the police recorded 661 cases and 926 suspects, while in 2012, there were 768 cases and 1,070 suspects.

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