KUALA LUMPUR: Customs and Excise officers at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali, have arrested two Malaysian nationals for allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs onto the resort island.
Aliff Affan Bin Azhar and Muhammad Shahzadi Bin Shariff were arrested upon their arrival at the airport on Malaysia Airlines flight MH 851 from Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 20.
Ngurah Rai Customs and Excise chief Budi Harjanto said officers found 70.67 grams of marijuana, 2.89 grams of crystal methamphetamine (locally called sabu-sabu), 15 ecstasy pills and 150 nimetazepam (Happy 5) pills.
“They [allegedly] hid the marijuana inside their socks. Meanwhile, the crystal meth, ecstasy and Happy 5 pills were found in Aliff’s luggage,” Budi claimed during a press conference on Friday
He said the two suspects showed suspicious behavior when their luggage passed through an X-ray machine. The Customs and Excise officers then conducted a further examination on their bags. The officer also conducted body searches on both suspects.
The Bali Police’s drug division is set to continue the investigation as both suspects and evidence were handed over by the customs officers to the police on Friday. If they are found guilty, the two suspects could face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and Rp 10 billion (US$765,404) in fines each. They will be charged with violating Article 113 (1) of the 2009 Narcotics law.
The Ngurah Rai Customs and Excise Office has thwarted 38 attempts to smuggle drugs into Bali since 2014. The total drugs seized weighed a total of 18,891 kg.
