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etectives from the Jambi Police narcotics and intelligence directorate have arrested MZ, 46, of Aceh, on board a bus from Aceh to Jambi for possession of 1 kilogram of crystal methamphetamine.

Jambi Police chief Brig. Gen. Yazid Fanani said MZ, who lived in Baiduri hamlet, Panton Masjid village, Makmur district, in the regency of Bireuen, Aceh, was a drug courier for a big-time dealer in Aceh.

It is believed he was on assignment to bring the drugs to Jambi.

It is strongly believed that the crystal meth was shipped into Aceh by sea and belongs to an international drug and illicit goods network.

“The contraband is from abroad. It was shipped in by sea and was being brought overland to Jambi,” said Yazid on Friday.

He added that over the past month, the Jambi Police had confiscated about 5 kg of crystal methamphetamine.

Yazid added that the police had conducted surveillance at a bus company depot in Jambi at around midday on Sunday. But the suspect, who was already a target of the operation, had already taken a bus to another regency. Police then pursued the man.

In front of the Batin XXIV police station in Batanghari, the bus was stopped and after a brief search,
police found the contraband in a brown handbag, which contained 10 large plastic bags filled with methamphetamine.

Police immediately arrested MZ and brought him and the narcotics to the Jambi Police headquarters.

It is believed the contraband was sent to MZ in Medan, North Sumatra, by a person from Aceh, before he left for Jambi.

MZ admitted to police that he was being paid Rp 20 million (US$1,520) for the job. However, he only received Rp 1 million for transportation costs. He also claimed it was his first time traveling to Jambi as a drug courier.

The police have charged MZ under Law No. 35/2009 on narcotics.

Meanwhile, in Semarang, Central Java, the state court continued the trial of Pakistani Muhammad Riaz after rejecting his demand for a lawyer from Pakistan. The judges rejected his demand because of the time it would take for the lawyer to arrive.

Since the case came into the international spotlight, the judges have attempted to speed up the trial, which now involves translators to allow the foreign defendants fully understand the charges.

“There are 27 witnesses being presented by the state prosecutors and 10 others from the defendant’s lawyers. Hearings will be held twice a week, on Tuesday and Wednesday. The trial of foreign defendants will take time,” chief judge Lasito said.

Muhammad’s attempt to smuggle over 97 kg of methamphetamine through Tanjung Emas Port in Semarang was foiled by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) on Jan. 27.

The eight suspects behind the smuggling are two Pakistanis Muhammad Riaz, alias Khan,
and Faid Akhtar; Philip Russel, alias Kamran Malik, of the US and five Indonesians Didi Triono, Peni Suprapti, Julian Citra Kirniawan, Restiyadi Sayoko and Tommi Agung Priambudi.

Suherdjoko contributed to this article.