"SS, alias DG, 27, is suspected of being behind the attempt to smuggle 60 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine that was foiled by the Aceh Police team in collaboration with the Aceh Customs and Excise in Syamtalira Bayu, North Aceh, on September 30, 2020," Aceh Police Chief Inspector General Wahyu Widada stated here on Wednesday.
The Aceh police also arrested three other suspects, of which two were shot respectively in the hip and calf areas for attempting to evade arrest.
The three suspects were identified by their initials as MM, alias Jenib, 38, who was shot in the hip, JU, 18, and SM, 24, who was shot in the calf.
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The police had earlier received a tip-off from the public about the attempt to smuggle in the Indonesian waters.
Water patrolling was later conducted by a customs boat and the legal enforcers spotted a light blue motorboat docked at the Krueng Matee Beach, Syamtalira Bayu District, North Aceh. The patrol team contacted personnel on the ground.
A car, bearing police number BK-1557-BN, on the beach drew the suspicion of the ground team that then followed it to MM's house. The team raided the house and arrested MM.
"From the results of the raid, the team confiscated 60 packs of Chinese tea containing methamphetamine weighing up to 60 kilograms, a car, and a cell phone," the Aceh police chief stated.
The police investigation found that the drug smuggling also involved four other people, with their initials as SM, JU, SS alias DG, and LB (40), the only one to have managed to evade police arrest.
"SS, alias DG, apart from arranging for the smuggling of 60 kilograms of methamphetamine, is also suspected of being involved in the smuggling of another 45 kilograms of methamphetamine. Hence, SS, alias DG, had smuggled a total of 105 kilograms of methamphetamine," Widada remarked.
The Aceh regional police chief stated that the perpetrators were charged under Article 114, Paragraph (2); Article 112, Paragraph (2); subsidiary of Article 115, Paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 132, Paragraph (1) of Law Number 35 of 2009 on narcotics. The perpetrators might face a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years and the heaviest death penalty.
"The police will also charge the perpetrators for committing the crime of money laundering in order to trace their property. Moreover, their network will be investigated to check for the involvement of other parties," he added.
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Translator: M Haris S Agus, Fardah
Editor: Sri Haryati
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