Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA) - A hunt is ongoing to find foreign nationals suspected as the ringleaders in the recent 4.5-kilogram drug smuggling case through Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, the local Provincial National Narcotics Agency (BNNP) has said.
"We are pursuing the foreign nationals suspected to control the scheme, as we strongly believe they are part of an international drug smuggling network," Bali BNNP acting head Senior Commissioner Stevy Frits Pattiasina said on Friday.
The drug smuggling case, uncovered on October 3, involved three individuals: two Chilean nationals identified as J and B, and an Indonesian national identified by the initials HU.
He said the drug smuggling operation was uncovered when the two foreign nationals underwent security checks at Bali Airport upon arriving from Melbourne, Australia, on a Jetstar flight, after previously boarding a LATAM flight from Santiago, Chile.
During the checks, security officers found four packages of substances suspected to be cocaine hidden in false compartments in their luggage.
According to Pattiasina, authorities found 2,284.5 gross grams of drugs in J’s luggage and 2,310 gross grams in B’s, bringing the total seizure to 4,594.5 grams, or approximately 4.59 kilograms.
"The two foreigners claimed to come to Bali for vacation purposes," he added.
The investigators later questioned two drivers who picked up the two Chilean nationals at the airport. They are named witnesses, as they were not involved in the scheme.
As the investigation progressed, BNNP officers identified HU as the intended recipient of the drugs, which the two Chilean nationals were expected to deliver to him at their hotel. Following his arrest, HU admitted that he had been instructed by another foreign national orchestrating the entire operation.
Pattiasina said that the drug operation helps protect 22,973 individuals from drug abuse risks, potentially saving up to Rp36.7 billion in drug rehabilitation costs.
Bali BNNP will strengthen its coordination with relevant stakeholders to prevent the island from becoming a drug haven, particularly given its status as a popular international tourist destination, he remarked.
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Translator: Rolandus Nampu, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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