DUMAI: Dumai customs officers have seized 1,075 ecstasy pills smuggled into Riau Province from Malaysia and have arrested six people in Tanjung Jering waters, Bengkalis District, Riau Province.
The ecstasy pills, worth Rp322 million, were found concealed among fresh fish aboard a fishing boat on August 11, Acting Head of the Dumai customs office Bambang Dwi Yuwono stated here, Wednesday.
“The task force of Kastima Operations water patrol checked a wooden boat from Malaysia that was headed to Dumai. In the boats rear section, we found a bag containing 1,075 ecstasy pills inside a water container,” he explained.
He suspected that the fishermen were paid to smuggle the drugs into Indonesia.
On August 8, the Dumai customs also arrested five people for attempting to smuggle 4.96 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine worth Rp6.7 billion in Sinaboi waters, Rokan Hilir District, Riau.
In the meantime, the Teluknibung international seaports customs and excise officers in North Sumatra had foiled an attempt to smuggle a total of 15,557 grams of methamphetamine into Indonesia from Malaysia.
A 57-year-old Aceh resident identified by the initials RH was arrested at the seaports arrival terminal, on Saturday, for attempting to smuggle the illicit drugs, Yosef Ariansyah of the Tanjungbalai customs and excise office, noted on August 9.
RH was arrested just as he exited MV Pacific Jet Star ferry since the customs officers were suspicious about the contents of the two paint buckets being carried by him.
The officers checked the buckets and found crystal methamphetamine.
RH claimed that he had been ordered by Ramli in Malaysia to take the drugs to Medan.
Deputy Head of the Tanjungbalai police office Commissioner Saragih stated that the police would conduct further investigation to uncover a possible link between RH and an international drug network.
