RI CUSTOMS FOIL ATTEMPTS TO SMUGGLE IN DRUGS

Jakarta, Oct. 8 (ANTARA) - Customs officers at Medan's Polonia airport on Wednesday at 8 pm local time foiled an attempt to smuggle in 4.042 km of crystal methamphetamine worth around Rp4 billion.

The drug was wrapped in eight plastic packages and hidden in six milk boxes, Evy Suhartantyo, a spokesman of the Customs and Excise Directorate General, said in a short text message here on Thursday.

The officers arrested the smuggler identified by his initials as TS who had just arrived from Penang, Malaysia.

Earlier, on Wednesday at around 6 pm local time, customs and excise officers in Batam, Riau Islands, also intercepted a person who tried to bring in a quantity of crystal methamphetamine from Malaysia.

They arrested the smuggler, TZ, who entered Batam by a ferry boat from Stulang Laut harbor, Malaysia.

On the same day, customs and excise officers also foiled an attempt to smuggle in used clothes through Tembilahan harbor, Riau.

Last May, a Malaysian national identified by his initials as KCT (36) was arrested by security officers of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, for trying to smuggle in 1.683 kg of crystal methamphetamine from Hong Kong. The illicit drug was wrapped in 98 small packages as if they were candies.***