Jakarta Police Foil Cocaine Smuggling Attempt

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Police and customs officers in Central Jakarta have foiled an attempt to smuggle 122.2 grams of cocaine from overseas on Tuesday, January 5, 2021.

The Tribunnews.com media outlet reported that “the stash of cocaine was found in a consignment of toys sent from Germany. We suspected the sender was bringing narcotics when the alarm on the X-ray machine went off,” said Kunawi head of the Customs Office in Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta.

“When we found that it was cocaine, we contacted the Central Jakarta Police Precinct. They then seized the cocaine and arrested the recipient, who was identified as JJ, as a suspect in the smuggling operation.”

Central Jakarta Police Precinct Narcotics Subdivision head Police Deputy Commissioner Indrawienny Panjiyoga confirmed the arrest. “JJ was the recipient of the cocaine. We strongly suspect that he will sell the narcotic to communities of cocaine users,” he said.

Also read: 5 Indonesians Face Possible Death Penalty in Malaysia for Drug Smuggling

“JJ is an employee for a company in Jakarta, so he has been peddling cocaine to earn money on the side. This makes him ideally suited to sell cocaine, which is a drug of choice for middle-upper class customers.” 

The police charged JJ under a 2009 law on narcotics. If found guilty, he faces the death penalty or six to 20 years in prison.

Dok. Divisi Humas Polri Bareskrim Narcotics Directorate chief Police Brigadier General Krisno Halomoan Siregar (middle) at a press briefing in Bareskrim headquarters, Jakarta, Wednesday (7/10/2020)

Meanwhile, the narcotics branch of the West Java Regional Police’s Criminal Investigations Department [Bareskrim] have uncovered the attempted smuggling of 28 kilograms of crystal meth during a bust in the Jakarta satellite city of Bekasi.

“We carried out the operation in a mall on Friday, December 25, 2020, after we received a tip,” said Bareskrim Narcotics Directorate chief Police Brigadier General Krisno Halomoan Siregar on Tuesday.

Also read: Jakarta Police Seize 131 Kilograms of Crystal Meth

“We arrested a suspect during the operation, whom we identified as MH, with a kilogram of the narcotics. We also searched her apartment but found no drugs there.” Krisno suspected that the narcotics was part of a drug network operating between Bekasi and Nigeria.

“MH said that she got the crystal meth from a foreign citizen identified as H at the gate for the Bantar Gebang – Bekasi toll road,” Krisno added. “She also admitted to renting another apartment at the Grand Kamala Lagoon Apartments in Bekasi to store the rest of the drugs”.

He pointed out that investigators found 27 kilograms of the crystal meth there. Investigators are developing the case and currently searching for H, who is still at large.

(Writers: Ihsanuddin, Devina Halim | Editor : Egidius Patnistik, Diamanty Meiliana)

Sources:

https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2021/01/05/13385021/kokain-dari-jerman-masuk-ke-jakarta-diselundupkan-dalam-mainan-anak. 

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/01/05/09275311/bareskrim-sita-28-kilogram-sabu-jaringan-nigeria-bekasi-seorang-tersangka.