"Their arrest was the result of cooperation between the National Anti-Narcotic Agency (BNN) and US Drug Information Agency that had suspected of methamphetamine dispatch to Indonesia through the sea," BNN deputy for eradication Deddy Fausi El Hakim informed ANTARA on Wednesday.
The two suspects, Said and Mustopa, are believed to be part of an international narcotic trafficking network.
From them, BNN has confiscated 60 kilogram of methamphetamine worth up to Rp75 billion.
Deddy added that the case was uncovered after the car rented by the two suspects met with an accident, in the same location where methamphetamine was found, two weeks ago.
BNN officers had already suspected that the two were part of the international network that BNN and international anti-drug agencies have so far wanted to crack.
The suspects hid the illegal drug at Lincung forest in Pelabuhanratu where Said and Mustopa spent the night at Hotel Bayu Amarta.
After the two were arrested and further investigation done, BNN found the drug buried in the ground.
"The quality or purity of the drug is very good and is worth US$100 per kilogram or more than Rp1 billion," Deddy pointed out.
He added that BNN is still investigating the case to unveil their network and to see whether the two suspects are connected with the drug case the police and BNN had uncovered in Ujunggenteng, Ciracap, Sukabumi, where three Iranians were killed during a raid.
He explained that the network has been found smuggling the narcotic drug through Sukabumi several times and it has also seen Indonesia not only as a transit but also a drug-trafficking destination country in view of the big number of users in the country reaching 4.2 millions.
"We are still investigating the case to check whether the drug is sold in Indonesia only or whether it is also being smuggled into other countries. International drug smuggling networks now prefer operating through the sea rather than by land," he pointed out.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
