The Indonesian government has said that Iranian nationals are the most common smugglers of class-A drugs into the country as of January this year.
Malaysians were the next-highest group, with eight suspects arrested so far this year, followed by India with six suspects, tempointeraktif.com reported.
The Customs and Excise Office at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, has arrested 15 Iranian nationals this year linked to 22 cases. It has also seized a total 115 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, (locally known as shabu-shabu), ketamine, heroin, cocaine and marijuana.
“All of the evidence together is worth Rp 278 billion (US$30.5 million) at market value,” the office’s head Baduri Wijayanta said Sunday.
All of the arrested Iranian smugglers were believed to be part of an Iran-based international drug syndicate, he added.
The office’s head of prosecutions Gatot Sugeng Wibowo said the Iran-based drug mafia might not have been aware that Indonesia enforced the death penalty for drug smuggling.
The 2009 Narcotics Law carries the death penalty and a Rp 10 billion fine for anyone in possession of more than 5 grams of drugs.
Related Posts
