Foreigners Caught for Narcotic Smuggling

Kuta (Antara Bali) - Two foreign nationals respectively from Chili and Iran have been arrested for attempting to smuggle in hashish and marijuana to Bali.

The head of the Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, and East Nusa Tenggara office of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, Rohmat Subagio, said here on Friday Maria Veronica Lama Fernandez from Chili was caught carrying 22.27 grams of hashish.

"We have conducted baggage and body checks but found nothing. However as we were still suspicious we then conducted an X-Ray check and found the stuff hidden in her genital," he said in a press conference.

He said the drug found with the woman born in Recoleta, Santiago, on October 27, 1960, was in the form of pasta packed in a capsule.

He said she kept acting suspiciously after disembarking from Malaysian Airlines MH-715 from Kuala Lumpur on April 17 at around 12.15 hours.

He said his office would cooperate with the police to see whether she would sell the drug or consume it for herself.

If proven violating Narcotic Law Number 35 of 2009 she could face up to a maximum penalty of 20 years in jail.

Rohmat said hashish is sold at Rp600,000 per gram and so the drug she carried was worth more than Rp13 million.

On April 7, Bali`s Ngurah Rai airport`s customs officers meanwhile had caught Iranian national Anthony Simonian Kordolia Alexander carrying 6.8 grams of marijuana kept in his bag.

He was caught after arriving from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, aboard AirAsia QZ 8392 at 1pm.

Born in Tehran on September 3, 1983 the Iranian national could face up to 15 years in jail if convicted and a maximum fine of Rp10 billion, he said. (*/M038/DWA)