TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta Metro Police Drug Investigation Unit thwarted the circulation of 147 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine or shabu from Iran. The police said that the delivery of the drugs was the work of international network dealers from the Middle East.

"They had planned to distribute these methamphetamine for the New Year in Jakarta, Tangerang and Central Java," Jakarta Metro Police PR chief, Sr. Comr. Endra Zulpan said in his office, Thursday, December 23.

The bust was a cooperation between the Customs and Excise Office, Soekarno Hatta Airport authorities, and the Legal and Human Rights Ministry.

The police followed leads of an order for crystal meth from Iran, which then led to a discovery of a network of dealers in Jakarta.

The drug bust was done on two occasions. The first was on December 17 at the Ruko Mega Wholesale Cempaka Mas in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta. The second one was on 18 December at Hotel C'One in Pulogadung, East Jakarta.

At the Ruko Mega Wholesale Cempaka Mas, the police found 3 sacks containing 117 plastic boxes of crystal meth weighing 147.143 kilograms.

During the raids, the police arrested five suspects: W (60); FS (27), HD (36), IA (32), and AK (34). "All five suspects are male," Zulpan said.

The suspects are facing charges of distributing class 1 narcotics, which could put them on the death row.

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Adam Prireza