Joint Team Disrupts 1.3 Kg of Marijuana Smuggling at SSK II Pekanbaru Airport

TNI AU Roesmin Nurjadin Air Base and Avsec SSK II Pekanbaru Airport officers after securing a package containing marijuana leaves. ANTARA/HO-Lanud Roesmin Nurjadin Pekanbaru

PEKANBARU - A joint team of the Indonesian Air Force from the Roesmin Nurjadin Air Base together with Aviation Security officers thwarted an attempt to smuggle 1.3 kilograms of marijuana at the Sultan Syarif Kasim II Pekanbaru Airport, Riau.

The commander of the Roesmin Nurjadin Air Base, Marsma TNI Abdul Haris, appreciated the readiness and professionalism of the Air Base personnel and airport Aviation Security (Avsec) officers.

This is a manifestation of the commitment of the Indonesian Air Force to support efforts to eradicate the circulation of drugs, especially through the air route.

"I appreciate the vigilance and accuracy of personnel who are on duty in the field. This is proof that each personnel carries out their duties with full responsibility in maintaining the security and sovereignty of the national airspace from the threat of narcotics," said Abdul Haris, quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, February 18.

He said that initially the suspicious package was found in the airport's cargo terminal when it was to be sent using one of the airlines to Jakarta on Wednesday. At that time, officers carried out a routine inspection of the shipment package through an X-Ray machine.

From the results of the examination, officers found a suspicious package. The Air Force personnel who were on duty with the Avsec officers then carried out a manual follow-up examination by opening the package.

The result was a package disguised in a snack box and wrapped in black plastic, which was suspected to contain marijuana.

After further examination by the relevant officers using narcotic test equipment, the package was confirmed to contain cannabis or marijuana with a weight of 1,338 grams.

"The package is known to be sent to the Bekasi area with the recipient with the initials BR," he said.

Furthermore, the evidence was secured at the Avsec Office of SSK II Pekanbaru Airport before being officially handed over to the Riau Provincial National Narcotics Agency (BNNP) for further investigation and development of the network.