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wo Pakistanis and an American citizen have begun trial at the Semarang District Court in Central Java along with five Indonesians for allegedly smuggling over 97 kilograms of crystal methamphetamines, locally known as sabu.

The two Pakistanis have been identified as Muhammad Riaz and Faid Akhtar, while the American is Kamran Malik, who goes by the alias Philip Russel. The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) has coined them “the Pakistani group”.

During the trial of Faid Akhtar, which was led by presiding judge Sartono on Wednesday, prosecutor Edi Budiyanto charged the defendant with violating Articles 114, 113 and 112 of Law No. 35/2009 on Narcotics.

“The total sabu smuggled was 97.15 kg,” Edi told the court.

The trial for Muhammad Riaz was led by presiding judge Lasito.

Meanwhile, the trial of Kamran Malik presided by judge Noor Ali ran only briefly and was later adjourned because the prosecutor needed an interpreter. Concurrently, the two defendants also had not yet been accompanied by a lawyer.

Court spokesperson Annastacia Tyas said the postponement was made because an interpreter was required. “The [postponement] is in accordance with the KUHAP [Criminal Law Procedures Code] stipulating that the trial has to be conducted in Indonesian,” she said.

The smuggling of the crystal methamphetamines was uncovered by the BNN in January during a raid at a furniture warehouse belonging to CV Jepara Raya Internasional in Pekalongan, Jepara regency, Central Java.

The illegal drugs were hidden within 194 electric generator units, where removal of the machines’ pistons acted as a storage compartment. They were smuggled from Guangzhou, China, and entered the country through Tanjung Emas Port in Semarang, Central Java.

The five Indonesian defendants who have also been tried for their alleged involvement in the smuggling network are Didi Triono, Peni Suprapti, Citra Kurniawan, Restiyadi Sayoko and Tommi Agung Priambudi.

Didi is a local resident who had rented the warehouse. The warehouse purportedly disguised itself as a furniture finishing business as a front for its illegal operations.

The case brokeout in January when the BNN in cooperation with the Central Java and Yogyakarta customs and excise offices uncovered the attempted smuggling of around 100 kg of the drugs from China.

At that time, BNN head Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso said his officers arrested eight people suspected to be part of an international drug smuggling network based in Pakistan.

Of the eight suspects, four are Pakistani citizens and four others are Indonesians.

The Pakistani suspects were identified as Faiq, Amran Malik, Riaz and Toriq, while the Indonesian suspects were Yulian, Tommy, Kristiadi and Didit. Didit is a resident of Pekalongan who rented the warehouse from a person named Yunpelizar.

Didit allegedly disguised the warehouse belonging to CV Jepara Raya Internasional in Pekalongan village, Jepara, Central Java, as a furniture finishing factory, but it was reportedly used to store the smuggled meth. The drugs were then repacked for further distribution across the country.

The crystal meth was smuggled inside electricity generators. Of 194 generator sets found, the BNN had examined 94, from which they collected around 100 kg of drugs.

BNN team arrested the suspects as they were unloading machines that had arrived at the warehouse a day earlier. The drugs were packed and covered in carbon paper to avoid X-ray detection.

Budi said the smugglers could face the death penalty according to articles 112, 114 and 122 of Law No. 35/2009 on narcotics and illicit drugs. The Money Laundering Law carries a minimum penalty of four years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of death.