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aiwanese woman Liu Quan Chen, 22, looked on as she and her 35-year-old husband Xu An Che and 40 other drug suspects witnessed the destruction of 1.5 tons of marijuana, heroin, ecstasy pills and other illegal drugs confiscated from them after their failed smuggling attempt through Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

Unlike other suspects who declined to be filmed by the media, she smiled and chatted with three
other Taiwanese suspects while witnessing personnel from the City Police and the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) place the illegal drugs into an incinerator.

'€œI was deceived and now I can imagine facing drug smuggling charges and serving a long jail
sentence in this beautiful country,'€ she said.

City Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said the couple were arrested on May 27 trying to bring in 14 kilograms of ketamine, which were hidden in the soles of their shoes.

'€œThe way they walked in the airport raised the suspicions of customs officers before they were asked to remove their shoes for a security check,'€ he said, adding the couple would not have been arrested if they had not walked in a strange manner past the airport'€™s international lounge.

Liu said in an interview with The Jakarta Post that she dreamed of a huge amount of money and a good job in Indonesia, after making their maiden trip to the country weeks before.

She said her husband asked her to make another visit to Indonesia to get a good job to build their economic livelihood and their family.

'€œWhat is happening? My husband deceived me into taking the long-distance flight and now we'€™re in police custody and expecting harsh punishment,'€ she said.

She also said she did not know anything about drugs and her husband told her that someone would come to pick them up at the airport and then get the money.

She said she was angry with her husband after discovering that his lies had led to them both being arrested.

'€œI'€™m thinking of divorcing him,'€ she said, adding that she had never used illegal drugs and she hated those involved in drug abuse and trafficking.

'€œI don'€™t know how long I will be punished for this. I heard I could be facing up to 10 years in jail. My son won'€™t remember his mother if I have to serve a jail sentence for that long,'€ she said.

She admitted that she did not know of Indonesia'€™s harsh laws on narcotics, although this would not prevent her from receiving harsh punishment.

'€œIn my country, first-time drug users only face one month imprisonment,'€ she said.

Liu warned others against getting involved in drug abuse and trafficking. '€œPlease be careful and don'€™t get fooled by anyone who asked you to bring some stuffs over countries because it is illegal and will certainly land you to prison.'€ (ian)