Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) has detained three men and a woman suspected of involvement in laundering drug money.
"The BNN has discovered transactions involving Rp2.7 trillion related to drug trade carried out over the past one year. It detained two suspects who have been identified as R and JT," BNN Chief Commissioner General Budi Waseso said here on Tuesday.
The BNNs report was based on the findings of the Financial Transaction Report and Analysis Center (PPATK).
"In the process, BNN investigators also discovered that the transactions involved members of the Pony Tjandra drug network and their colleagues," Waseso remarked.
R and JT were arrested from the Pluit Sakti housing complex in North Jakarta on Oct. 17, 2016.
"The two suspects used 15 companies to disguise the money transfers. The money came from drug crimes committed along with drug dealers from 11 countries, namely China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, the US, Japan, South Korea, the UK, the Philippines, and Thailand," he disclosed.
Of the total, an amount of Rp1.7 trillion was transferred to China.
To facilitate the transfer of Rp2.7 trillion to other countries, R forged some 1,831 pages of fake importation invoice documents during 2014-2015.
The agency has seized Rs assets worth Rp16.6 billion comprising, among other things, varying amounts of money in several foreign currencies, five apartment units, two shops, two kiosks, a packaging factory and six insurance policies.
Two other suspects, identified as RUS and ET, are money changer company owners in Batam.
Earlier, Pony Tjandra was sentenced to 20 years in jail for drug trafficking and six years on account of money laundering activities.
Also, other members of the Pony Tjandra network were arrested. They are Teny Kusnadi, who was jailed for 18 months, Midi who went behind bars for two years and Loe Kok Min, still under investigation.
So far, total assets worth Rp83.54 billion were seized from Pony Tjandaras network and from R.
The four suspects face 20 years imprisonment and a fine of Rp10 billion. (WDY)
