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ustoms and Excise Officers at Yogyakarta's Adisutjipto International Airport have foiled an attempt to smuggle in 2.8 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, locally known as shabu shabu, worth Rp 5.6 billion (US$467,212).

The illicit drug was hidden in a suitcase allegedly belonging to a 41-years-old Indian woman identified only as EH. It was found on board a SilkAir plane flying in from Singapore.

'The suitcase was left on the aircraft. Further investigation led to EH, whom we arrested in a hotel near the airport on Monday,' the office's director, Agung Kuswandono, said on Wednesday.

Agung said the seized evidence was separated into three packages weighing a total of 2.8 kg.

Drugs of this weight, according to Agung, equaled 11,200 fixes. 'Don't look at the value but at the impact and the damaging effects of the drug on 11,200 young people,' he said.

On Nov. 8, the office foiled a smuggling attempt of 1.8 kg of crystal meth from Kuala Lumpur. The drug was reportedly carried by a migrant worker hailing from Madura, East Java, identified only as AF.

The suspects, Agung said, had been handed over to the Yogyakarta Police for investigation.

The Yogyakarta Police's narcotics division head, Adj. Sr. Comr. Bhakti Nur, said the perpetrators would be charged under Article 102 (e) of the 1995 Narcotics Law.

Citing data from the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), Agung said the number of drug users in the country had reached around 4 million. 'This is a relatively big figure and drug dealers will try whatever they can to meet the demand,' Bhakti said.

He added that problems related to narcotics was like a war that kept escalating.

'Drug distributors will always try to look for new ways and we, together with other parties, will continue to protect the people,' Agung said.

The Yogyakarta airport is an entrance gate for narcotics, especially crystal meth, for distribution in Yog-yakarta and neighboring Central Java provinces.

Another case involved Chinese Meixiu Zhou, who was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle in 9,976 ecstasy pills and 42 g of ecstasy powder worth Rp 1 billion.

Srie Moetarini Evianti, separately, was reportedly found carrying 2.6 kg of crystal meth worth Rp 5.2 billion on an AirAsia flight from Kuala Lumpur to Yogyakarta.

In December 2012, Siti Nuriah from Madura was detained for allegedly attempting to smuggle in 1.032 kg of methamphetamine through the airport using an AirAsia, also from Kuala Lumpur.