The heroin was hidden in the underwear of a Malaysian man named Sargunan M Suppiah, the Head of Ngurah Rai Surveillance and Excise Service Customs Office, Made Wijaya, said in Kuta on Tuesday.
"The suspect was the first to get out of the plane and seemed to be in a hurry, which aroused our suspicion. Therefore, we conducted an in-depth examination and found the heroin hidden in his underwear," he explained.
The suspect arrived aboard an Air Asia aircraft, flight number AK 1364, from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at around 9.30 pm on Saturday (January 5).
The customs officers then caught hold of the man, who claimed to work at a farm company in Malaysia, and took him to a room for further interrogation.
During the interrogation, the man, born in Selangor on June 5, 1975 provided inconsistent information.
"At first, he claimed to be a travel entrepreneur. Then, he claimed to be a taxi driver," Made said.
He stated that the suspect took his trousers off without being asked, arousing the suspicion of other officers. Later, the heroin was found in his underwear.
The officers also suspected that the man travelled from Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta and Denpasar frequently over the past three months, Made pointed out.
"The suspect has come to Jakarta at least twice over these past couple of months but said he had not come with any drugs during his recent visits. However, we hope the police can further develop the case," he said.
Made will hand over the suspect to the Bali Police for further investigation. Sargunan could be charged under Article 113 Paragraph 2 of Act No. 35/2009 on Narcotics, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp10 billion.
(S038/INE/S012)
Editor: Suryanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
