Pubdate: Thu, 07 Dec 2000
Source: Jakarta Post (Indonesia)
Copyright: The Jakarta Post
Contact:  P.O. Box 85 Palmerah Jakarta 11001
Fax: (62) (21) 5492685
Website: http://www.thejakartapost.com

1.3 TONS OF MARIJUANA SEIZED

JAKARTA (JP): West Jakarta Police seized some 1.3 tons of dried 
marijuana on Wednesday and arrested five suspected traffickers in 
Kembangan Selatan subdistrict, West Jakarta.

The seizure was made after several police officers from the Kembangan 
Police subprecinct and West Jakarta Police precinct stopped a Kijang 
minivan on Jl. Kembangan Selatan at about 3 a.m. during a joint 
antinarcotics operation.

"We were suspicious because when the driver saw the police officers, 
he quickly speeded up," the police report said.

After a chase, the police finally managed to pull over the minivan 
and conducted a search.

The police officers found 77 boxes in the car, each containing one 
kilogram of dried marijuana, the report said.

The driver, identified as Syahrial, and three passengers, Zaini, 
Yanto, and Naim, were immediately arrested.

After being questioned at the scene about the marijuana, Zaini 
admitted that the narcotics were about to be brought to Tanjung 
Priok, North Jakarta, for distribution.

A suspect who had been arrested previously in another drug 
trafficking case admitted that each kilogram of dried marijuana was 
sold for Rp 1 million (US$105).

Three more suspects, namely Asri, Iis and Pepen, were still at large, 
the report said.
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