TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - West Jakarta Police have apprehended a Taiwanese resident for smuggling 6.2 kilograms of methamphetamine from China to Indonesia. "The meth was smuggled in water tanks, which were sent via an expedited service into Indonesia," said the Head of West Jakarta Police's Drug Unit Police Sr. Comr. Gembong Yudha to the press at West Jakarta Police Headquarters, on Wednesday, October 1, 2014.
The suspect - a 42-year-old Taiwanese national known by the initials JKY - works as a dealer in Indonesia. "He has been staying at a hotel in Losari for the past two months," said Gembong. According to police, JKY works the nightclubs in West Jakarta to distribute the restricted substance.
According to Gembong, the meth is of a high quality and is often dubbed as 'honey meth'. The street value of the seized drugs exceeds Rp1.3 billion per kilogram.
Previously on Wednesday, September 24, 2014, police received a tip about a smuggling attempt into Jakarta, to which they responded by arranging an undercover policeman to meet with JKY in Losari to buy 2 grams of 'honey meth'.
After police were able to confirm that JKY is a indeed a dealer, the rest of the team swooped in to arrest JKY at his hotel room. In his room, police found and confiscated 6 kilograms of meth. "The total street value of the drugs seized in the raid is estimated to be around Rp7.8 billion," according to Gembong.
According to Gembong, drug dealing is rampang around West Jakarta because it is conveniently located need high-rise residential units and nightclubs. Easy access to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport makes it a favourite among dealers and smugglers alike.
West Jakarta Police Chief Police Sr. Comr. M. Fadil Imran said that the bust is one of the largest made by authorities in the past couple of months. "Investigations into cases like this requires perseverance because the enemy is an organised international crime syndicate," said Imran.
According to Imran, investigation into the case will be resumed, and that his unit is cooperating with Chinese authorities to get to the end of the case.
PERSIANA GALIH
