West Bangka Police Failed To Smuggle 24 Kilograms Of Marijuana

West Bangka Police Chief AKBP Ade Zamrah conveyed a press statement revealing a marijuana-type drug case. (ANTARA/HO-Humas West Bangka Police)

West Bangka Resort Police, Bangka Belitung Islands thwarted the smuggling of 24-kilogram marijuana sent from Sumatra Island to Bangka via Tanjungkalian Port, Mentok.

"The joint team of the West Bangka Police together with Kodim 0431/BB managed to secure two suitcases containing marijuana weighing 24.06 kilograms on Tuesday (30/1) night," said West Bangka Police Chief AKBP Ade Zamrah as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, February 1.

He explained that the prevention of smuggling illegal goods began with information from residents who stated that there was a shipment of these goods from Sumatra Island to Bangka via Tanjungkalian Port, Mentok.

On Tuesday (30/1) members of the Bhabinkamtibmas Polsek Mentok received information that suspicious items were sent by passenger ship to Tanjungkalian Port with the aim of Pangkalpinang City.

Following up on this information, the Mentok Police Resintel Unit together with the joint team conducted an investigation by waiting for the ship in question. After the ship docked, strict supervision was carried out on the passengers and luggage.

"Members suspect that the two suitcases transported by the transport team to one of the transport cars, the owner is not yet aware of the goods, so the KSOP officers will carry out an inspection," he said.

From the results of the examination of the two bags, a package containing marijuana was found. Based on the findings of the evidence, members of the Mentok Police and the West Bangka Police Satpolair carried out security around the port to find information.

Meanwhile, members of the Operations of the Narcotics Unit carried out the development and investigation of the origin and purpose of the goods.

From the information obtained, data on the owner of the two suitcases containing marijuana are already outside West Bangka.

"The team led by the West Bangka Police Chief pursued two people who were suspected of owning the bag, and at around 19.30 WIB they managed to find the owner of the bag at the gas station on Jalan Raya Koba, Pangkalan Baru, Central Bangka Regency," he said.

The two bag owners had the initials DS and SD who were later arrested for inspection.

From the results of the examination, evidence was found in the form of communication tools related to evidence and from the perpetrator DS found a key that matched the lock on two suitcases found at Tanjungkalian Port.

"From the results of the examination, the two perpetrators admitted that the two suitcases containing marijuana belonged to them, the perpetrators also admitted that the goods were obtained from an area in North Sumatra," he said.

From the examination information, the perpetrator received an order from someone who lives in Pangkalpinang to pick up and bring him from North Sumatra to Pangkalpinang.

"We already know the identity of the orderer and are currently under investigation," he said.

In the freight forwarding business, the perpetrators get a salary of Rp. 1 million per kilogram with an initial payment of Rp. 7 million. Based on information from the perpetrators, this activity has only been carried out once, but this information is still under investigation.

From this arrest, the police confiscated evidence of 24.06 kilograms of marijuana packaged in 24 packages, two black and brown suitcases, two cell phones, and a lock key.