[Kabar-indonesia] Indonesia teams up with HK, S'pore to catch drug ring leaders

[Joyo at aol.com]

also: JP: Three suspects named in crystal meth case

Indonesia teams up with HK, S'pore to catch drug ring leaders

Jakarta (Antara, Sept. 1, 2006) - The Jakarta city police set up cooperation 
with Singaporean and Hong Kong police to catch drug ring leaders after it 
found 966 kilograms of `shabu shabu` or crystal methamphetamine in Tangerang 
district last Tuesday, Jakarta police office chief Inspector General Adang Firman 
said here Thursday.

"We have just met with Singaporean and Hong Kong police officials to discuss 
cooperation to catch the culprits," he said after the transfer of post of 
Central Sulawesi police head.

He said the Indonesian police have thus put names initialed as AH, L, and C 
on a wanted list.

The police got information that the three people were Hongkongers and that AH 
was visiting Singapore, he said.

"Our cooperation with Hong Kong and Singaporean police has run well. Hong 
Kong and Singapore are ready to help us to reveal the drug ring," he said.

Adang said the police had already questioned 13 people over the Tuesday`s 
illicit drug haul.

One of the people queried by the police had an initial of AK (45), a coral 
reef businessman.

"We still don`t know whether AK is one of the drug ring leader," he said.

Meanwhile data of the Jakarta police office showed AK alias Akuang alias 
Samin Iwan was the owner of Sang Putra firm which deals in coral reef business.

The police also questioned Wang Yi Meng (21) a close friend of AH alias Ahua 
who had been wanted by the police for years; Akuang`s workers namely Rusi 
Susanti (20) and Murasah (58); Sutarno (28); AH workers namely Ahmad Asroni (30) 
and Jatna (27); and Jatna`s wife Yuni (23).

AH`s driver Boin Santosa as well as his other workers namely Lali, Yusran and 
Kasser, were also quizzed by the police.

The police successfully found the haul after one of its members was hit by 
Akuang`s panther van when he was on patrol Monday night. He became suspicious 
after the vehicle was parked in a dark street.

The police later found the van unattended outside a house where the police 
seized the 966 kg of `shabu shabu` early Tuesday. 

----------------------------------------------------------------

The Jakarta Post 
Friday, September 1, 2006

Three suspects named in crystal meth case

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police named three suspects Thursday for alleged involvement in the haul of 
950 kilograms of crystal meth found in a box van in Teluk Naga, Tangerang, 
early Monday.

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Adang Firman identified them as Samin Iwan, 
alias Akuang, 42, owner of PT Sang Putra, which owns the truck that carried the 
crystal meth; Akuang's driver Boin Santosa, alias Ruli, 37, and Wang Yi Meng, 
alias Yen Hwa, 21, the girlfriend of Hong Kong citizen Ahua, one of the 
suspected dealers currently being sought for questioning.

A team of detectives led by Jakarta Police psychotropics unit chief Adj. Sr. 
Comr. Hendra Joni inspected Thursday the boats at Akuang's coral reef 
exporting company, which were allegedly used to transfer the drugs.

He said that they were trying to examine how the syndicate transferred the 
drugs from a large vessel to a smaller one to reach shore.

"We're still searching for the exact coordinates where the crystal meth was 
transferred," he said.

A director at the National Narcotics Agency, Brig. Gen. Indradi Thanos, said 
the joint team also was searching for the presence of chemicals on Akuang's 
boats.

Indradi said they also were investigating whether the drug syndicate 
reportedly led by three Hong Kong citizens -- Ahua, Mr. Chen and Mr. Lou -- was 
connected with Peter Wong. He allegedly ran Southeast Asia's biggest drug 
manufacturing factory in Tangerang, which was raided last November. Wong is still at 
large.

The police said that another drug dealer from Hong Kong, also identified by 
the name Wong, who was arrested in Palembang, South Sumatra, last April, said 
Wednesday that he recognized the suspects as his former accomplices who now 
worked for another drug lord from his country.

Due to conflicting reports of the weight of the crystal meth -- some 
publications have reported that the drugs weighed 966 kg -- Jakarta Police Drug Squad 
head Sr. Comr. Arman Depari said it would be reweighed.

The seizure resulted from a tip from a resident of Teluk Naga to the 
Tangerang Police. Following the discovery of the box van, the police traced the 
vehicle's ownership and arrested Akuang.

National Police chief Gen. Sutanto promoted Tangerang Police officer Heri 
Prastowo from the rank of chief brigadier to second adjutant for his contribution 
to the seizure. Heri, who responded to the resident's call, was rammed by the 
vehicle and suffered a broken leg.

Adang Firman also awarded him a new motorcycle.

Indradi said that since 1999 Indonesia had changed from the status of an 
illegal drug importer to a drug producer.

"Previously Indonesia was only a transit ground for drug transactions."

He added the police faced difficulties in monitoring the 185,000 kilometers 
of coasts in the archipelago, which allowed ample opportunity for drug 
smuggling.

The police are developing a "community policing" method, he said, involving 
public information campaigns in coastal communities about drug smuggling. 

------------------------------------------ 
Joyo Indonesia News Service
------------------------------------------