More Than 2,000 indonesians Arrested In Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 13 (Antara) - More than 2,000 Indonesians have been arrested on charge of being couriers of methamphetamine to be smuggled to Indonesia over the past two years. Chief of the anti drug investigating agency (JSJN) of Bukit Aman Datuk Seri Noor Rashid Ibrahim was quoted as saying by local media on Thursday that from 2012 to May 2014, the Malaysian authorities had arrested 2,240 Indonesians on charge of smuggling or trying to smuggle out drugs from Malaysia mainly to Indonesia. "This year alone, 153 Indonesians have been arrested charged with being drug runners and members of drug syndicate," Ibrahim said. The price of the drug is much more expensive in Indonesia motivating the smuggling despite the risk of heavy punishment, a local official was quoted as saying. The price of methamphetamine is around 500,000-600,000 ringgits (Rp1.9-Rp2.2 billion) per kg in Indonesia as against only around 150,000-200,000 ringgit (Rp554 million- Rp738 million) per kg in Malaysia. He said they have been convicted by the Malaysian courts M and some of them are awaiting execution by hanging. "They have been ready to risk losing their life for thousands of ringgits paid by a syndicate based in Malaysia," he said. He said the drug runners tried to smuggle drugs via the coastal areas of Perak, Selangor or Johor. JSJN cooperates with the Indonesian police and National Narcotics Agency (BNN) in a bid to stamp out drug smuggling between the two countries, he said. . Indonesian police said almost every week there were cases of methamphetamine smuggling from Malaysia to Indonesia . The drugs entered Indonesia via the ports of Bakauheni, Pekanbaru, Belawan of Medan, and Tanjung Balai.