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Attempt to smuggle 4.5 kg of crystal meth from Malaysia thwarted
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Personnel of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), the Finance Ministry's Customs and Excise Office and the Indonesian Navy present packages of crystal methamphetamine during a press conference on Feb. 20. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
T
he Riau Narcotics Agency (BNNP) has arrested an alleged drug dealer and confiscated 4.5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine as well as 4,600 ecstasy pills worth more than Rp 9 billion (US$635,850) in total.
BNNP Riau head Brig. Gen. Wahyu Hidayat said Chandra alias Sican, who was nabbed in a raid on Tuesday, was a member of a drug network that had been smuggling the illegal substance into the country from Malaysia.
“The network would usually transport the drugs via [unregistered] ports in coastal areas of Riau, especially Rupat Island. The drugs would then be distributed in the city of Pekanbaru,” he said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Wahyu explained that Chandra had been apprehended at his house in the Labuh Baru Timur subdistrict of Payung Sekaki district, Pekanbaru, without attempting to resist the arrest. He said the BNNP Riau had made the arrest after a weeklong investigation.
During the raid at Chandra’s house, BNNP Riau personnel reportedly found two bags – one red and one blue one. The red bag, according to the BNNP, contained four large packages of crystal meth wrapped in used plastic bags of Chinese tea of the Guanyinmang brand. Two plastic pockets containing 10 packages of crystal meth weighing 50 grams each were found in the red bag.
Meanwhile, thousands of ecstasy pills had been found inside the blue bag, said Wahyu, adding that “the suspect said he had been promised Rp 10 million for delivering the drugs.”
BNNP Riau drug crime prevention and eradication head Adj. Sr. Comr. Haldun said Chandra was part of a drug network controlled by DD alias Kadok, a drug convict currently serving his sentence at the Pekanbaru Penitentiary. (ebf)
