Samarinda Police Disrupt the Distribution of 9.8 Tons of Cap Tikus Miracles

Polresta Samarinda confiscated 9.8 tons of liquor transported in two trucks. ANTARA/Ahmad Rifandi.

SAMARINDA - The Samarinda City Police, East Kalimantan, thwarted the distribution of 9.8 tons of traditional Cap Tikus liquor transported using two trucks in the Palaran District area.

"We have thwarted the circulation of nearly 10 tons of illegal alcoholic beverages. This is our commitment in maintaining a conducive situation in the region from potential security disturbances," said Samarinda Police Chief Kombes Hendri Umar, quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, February 24.

The disclosure of the case began when the personnel of the Samapta Unit were carrying out surveillance duties in the early morning at around 00.10 WITA on Monday (23/2).

The officer who was patrolling was suspicious of the presence of two heavy commercial vehicles that were parked in a dead engine condition.

The freight fleet was considered suspicious because it stopped at a quiet and dark location, precisely on the edge of the Poros Samarinda Road towards Sanga Sanga, Bantuas Village.

When the police approached and conducted a physical examination into the back compartment, a pile of white sacks with a pungent smell was found.

"The sacks were immediately dismantled by officers and proved to contain alcoholic liquids from traditional fermentation that were ready to be distributed to the black market," said Hendri.

The police chief explained that the driver could not be excused when questioned because he was completely unable to show any official government licensing documents.

The police team on the ground immediately registered the first truck with the police number AB 8102 JC which was known to contain 113 sacks of intoxicating liquid with a gross weight of 4,520 kilograms.

The second vehicle with the license plate number KT 8327 KL was also searched and turned out to contain a much larger volume, namely 134 sacks weighing 5,360 kilograms.

"If accumulated by the police investigators, the total amount of confiscated goods from the two transport vehicles reached 247 sacks with a weight of 9,880 kilograms," explained Hendri.

Intensive investigation and initial interrogation at the scene finally led the joint officers to a woman with the initials RB who was listed as a resident of Balikpapan City.

The 43-year-old woman is suspected of acting as a financier and the main owner of tens of thousands of liters of illegal liquid.

To prevent the removal of evidence, all suspects along with their transport fleet and cargo were immediately escorted to the command center to undergo the examination process.

The police have prepared a case file to trap the perpetrators using the Samarinda City Regional Regulation Number 6 of 2013, bring anyone who is legally proven to have violated this regional legal provision can be thrown into prison for a maximum of six months.

In addition to the threat of imprisonment, the regulation also imposes a financial fine of up to IDR 50,000,000.