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German arrested over alleged drug smuggling
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Arrested: Personnel from the Bali Police narcotics unit escort Siegfried Karl Achim Ruckel, 55, to a press conference on Feb. 22. Ruckel was arrested over an alleged attempt to smuggle drugs into Bali.
(JP/Zul Trio Anggono)
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ustoms and Excise Office personnel at Ngurah Rai International Airport have arrested a German national over his alleged attempt to smuggle various drugs into Bali.
Siegfried Karl Achim Ruckel, 55, was arrested upon his arrival at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport from Doha, Qatar, via Qatar Airways flight QR-962 on Jan. 26.
Customs officers reportedly seized 7.91 grams of heroin, 2.57 grams of amphetamine and 30 pills of diazepam from the suspect. Ruckel allegedly hid the drugs inside his belongings.
“From the suitcase, we found one plastic package of heroin weighing 6.78 grams. It was hidden in a tissue package,” said Bali Customs and Excise Office prosecution and investigation chief Husni Syaiful on Thursday.
The officers allegedly found the amphetamine in his white bag, 1.21 grams of heroin in his underwear and 30 diazepam pills and 23 pills containing heroin in a small brown bag.
“The suspect was cooperative enough with our officers. During the search, he admitted to carrying other drugs in his underwear,” Husni said.
Bali Police narcotics unit investigator Comr. I Made Pakris said they were investigating whether the suspect was part of an international drug ring.
“He told us that all of the drugs were brought for his personal use only. We cannot simply believe what he told us. We should investigate whether he is part of an international drug ring that is attempting to test security procedures at the Ngurah Rai airport for a bigger smuggling attempt," Pakris said. (ebf)
