Indonesian authorities arrested two Taiwanese nationals for trying to smuggle more than 7 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine into the country, local media reports said Saturday. ( dpa )
The two, identified as Tseng Huang Lung, 44, and Tsen Wen Ho, 35, were arrested Friday by customs officers at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, soon after they arrived on a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong, The Jakarta Post reported.
Rahmat Subagio, chief of the airport's customs office, was quoted as saying that officers seized 7.2 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, locally called "shabu-shabu," estimated to be worth 10.8 billion rupiah (1.1 million dollars) on the local market.
"Our officers observing the passengers became suspicious when the two suspects, who did not know each other, looked confused and nervous. Later, other officers at the check point reported they saw suspicious objects in the passengers' luggage," Subagio was quoted as saying.
He said six boxes reading "Orion Pie" were founded in the luggage, and after examination, the officers found 26 aluminum foil bags containing the drugs.
The incident was the latest drug seizure by Indonesian authorities in recent weeks to have involved foreign nationalities.
In late March, the Indonesian police arrested three Malaysian citizens, suspected to be members of an international drug syndicate during a raid, seizing 9.4 kilograms of shabu-shabu worth up to 1.6 million dollars.
On April 11, customs and excise officers foiled an attempted smuggling of nearly 7 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine from Hong Kong worth up to 1.1 million dollars, and arrested two Taiwanese nationals.