JAKARTA: Parepare Police have foiled two attempts to smuggle crystal methamphetamine via Nusantara Parepare Port, South Sulawesi in August. The crystal meth, confiscated in two separate operations, on Aug.1 and Aug 10, amounted to 10 kilograms. Parepare Police chief Adj.Sr.Comr. Pria Budi said the crystal meth had been smuggled from Malaysia and was to be distributed in Sulawesi. However, he said, the drug smuggling attempts were carried out by two separate networks with no connection to one another.
Pria said the police foiled an attempt to smuggle 8 kg of crystal meth during an examination of passengers from machine vessel Bukit Siguntang departing from Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, on Aug.10.
“A passenger had luggage that raised suspicions. Security authorities found the luggage was locked when they went to check it. The owner, identified only by the initials SY, asked to retrieve the key from a family member but SY did not return,” said Pria. The officers later opened the luggage and found eight packages of crystal meth, weighing 1 kg each.
Pria said the police arrested SY in Makassar on Aug.11. Two other suspects, identified as TM and JH, were arrested in Makassar on the same day while another suspect, AT, was detained in Parepare the following day. The four suspects claimed they were assigned only as couriers and were promised Rp 40 million (US$3,055.77) each.
On Aug.1, the Parepare Police foiled an attempt to smuggle 2 kg of crystal meth using drug networks at Bollangi narcotics prison in South Sulawesi and Tarakan prison in North Kalimantan.
“The 2 kg crystal meth belonged to a drug convict from Tarakan prison. He worked with five convicts in Bollangi prison to distribute the drugs,” said Pria.
