The suspect, only identified by her initial H, was apprehended when she was picking up the drug package from the courier service, Director of the Papua Police's Narcotics Division Sen.Coms Totok Triwibowo, told ANTARA here on Wednesday.
The police investigators uncovered the drug case after they became suspicious over a package stored at a courier service in the Sentani area to be delivered to Timika, he said.
Several police officers were dispatched to Timika to find the person who would pick up the drug package, he said, adding that it was originally sent from Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi Province, to be traded in Timika.
The 147 packs of crystal meth were put in a box covered with a bed cover. The suspect is in police custody pending a further investigation, he added.
Indonesia remains under grave threat from drug dealers, as several individuals from its working-age population have been embroiled in a vicious circle.
Both domestic and transnational drug dealers perceive Indonesia as one of their potential markets due to its large population and millions of drug users. The drug trade in the country is estimated to reach nearly Rp66 trillion.
According to the National Narcotics Agency's (BNN's) report, some 50 drug use-related deaths occur in a day in Indonesia. However, their deaths have failed to deter other drug users in the country from consuming these banned substances.
Users of crystal methamphetamine, narcotics, marijuana, and other addictive drugs transcend communities and socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. Among the drug users are students and artists.
Palu City's National Narcotics Agency (BNN) brought to light the disturbing fact that 206 drug users, mostly students, were part of the state-sponsored drug rehabilitation programs in 2019.
Indonesia's world of entertainment is also vulnerable to drug cases as partly observed from the arrests of popular female comedian, Tri Retno Prayudati, known as Nunung Srimulat, and her husband on July 19, 2019.
The police investigators confiscated 0.36 grams of crystal methamphetamine during a raid on Nunung's house in the Tebet area of South Jakarta.
These two arrests have only added to the list of Indonesia's artists who have been nabbed in drug cases.
Related news: Papua police arrest two drug users
Related news: Police investigate cross-border arms-for-drugs barter in Papua
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Evarukdijati, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
