"The suspects planned to send the narcotic drug to Kampung Ambon in West Jakarta ahead of New Year celebrations," narcotics intelligence director Senior Commissioner Nugroho Aji said here on Thursday.
He identified the nine arrested suspects by their initials as BTR alias Y from Aceh, MHD alias FN from Aceh, INT from Bandung, PPI from Cirebon, IT from Cirebon, DK from Cirebon, ML from Jakarta, BDI from Jakarta and THS from Tangerang.
They were arrested at different locations namely in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta and Tangerang in Banten on Saturday (Dec 17), the toll road exit gate at Kebon Nanas, Tangerang, and Jalan Sampuran, Central Bandung, on Monday (Dec 26) and in Semar Apartment in Harja Mukti, Cirebon, West Java, on Wednesday (Dec 28).
Nugroho said the suspects smuggled in the stuff from Iran through Malaysia to Aceh by sea hiding it in painting frames.
They then brought the packages by land through Padang, Palembang, Jambi and Lampung to Jakarta.
He said the suspects had also smuggled in seven ounces of heroin believed to be from India and 6,200 ecstasy pills from the Netherlands.
Nugroho said the police were still questioning prisoners at Nusakambangan Penitentiary of Nigerian origin namely Obina and Clancy who are believed to be the ring`s masterminds and financiers.
"The police are also still searching for suspects SRF (a Malaysian national) and ADR (an Iranian)," he said.
He said from the arrested suspects the police confiscated seven cell phones, a truck with license number BL-9154-A, four wooden planks, two pieces of sari cloth and two bags.
The suspects are to be charged under various articles in Law number 35 of 2009 on narcotics that carry the death penalty, life imprisonment, 20 years in prison or a minimum of five years in prison.
(T.T014/H-YH/HAJM)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
