Kendari Police Arrest Perpetrators Of Smuggling 1 Kilogram Of Methamphetamine, Claiming To Be Paid IDR 40 Million

KENDARI - Kendari City Police, Southeast Sulawesi, arrested a perpetrator of smuggling 1 kilogram of methamphetamine at a hotel in Kendari city.

Kendari Police Chief Kombes Aris Tri Yunarko said the perpetrator who was arrested had the initials MZ (25), a resident of Batam City, Riau Islands.

"The arrests were made on Thursday (20/6) night at 20.00 WITA," said Aris as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, June 21.

The arrest of the suspect began with a public report conveying information that there would be a large number of illegal transactions of methamphetamine in Kendari City. The information was then followed up by the Kendari Police Narcotics Investigation Unit Team.

"Then the team carried out an in-depth investigation of the information. The members carried out an investigation until they finally managed to catch the perpetrators at a hotel," he said.

After being arrested, the police then conducted a search of the hotel room where MZ was staying and found four plastic packs containing methamphetamine weighing a total of 1,035 grams.

Based on the suspect's confession, Aris continued, the methamphetamine was entrusted to him by a person with the initials RM in Batam City to be delivered to Kendari City by air, namely a flight on Thursday (20/6) and arrived in Kendari City at 18.00 WITA.

"Based on the direction of RM in Batam City. There was an order, later when (Kendari) someone took the package. However, no one had time to take it, we were able to arrest MZ," explained Aris.

From the results of the interrogation, MZ admitted that he would get a salary of Rp. 40 million to deliver the methamphetamine package to Kendari City.

"Based on MZ's statement, the methamphetamine will be circulated in Kendari City," he said.

MZ will be charged with Law Number 35 of 2009 concerning Narcotics which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.