Iranians Carrying Meth in Stomachs Caught at Ngurah Rai

Denpasar (Antara Bali) - Bali Police have confiscated 476 crystal amphethamine-containing capsules weighing a total of 2,380 grams from seven Iranian nationals who had tried to smuggle in the drug hidden in their innards.

The seven Iranians were arrested at Ngurah Rai international airport on Wednesday (Dec 9) after customs officers became suspicious about their swollen and hard abdomens, Bali Police Chief Insp Gen Sutisna told the press  here Friday.

Anti-drug police officers took the seven to a hospital where an examination using special instruments showed the capsules lodged in their digestive tracts. 

Doctors at the hospital gave them a laxative and, as a result, each of them eventually dropped varying numbers of the meth-containing capsules.

"Up to Friday noon, we retrieved a total of 476 capsules or 2,389 grammes from them," Sutisna said.

Of the number, 100 capsules came from the Iranian Daryoush Omidali, 131 from Bahman Mirzae,  23 from Mohsen Muhammadiargasl, 77 from Alireza Safarkahnloo, 80 from Meldi Alinejadgolestan, 21 from Saeid Soltaninabizadeh, and 40 from Masoud Soltaninabizadeh.

Sutisna said the Iranians were still undergoing the stomach emptying process at the hospital as it was believed they had swallowed more than 478 capsulea.

"Of the seven, we believe , only one, namely Daryoush Omidali, has so far dropped all the capsules he was carrying in his stomach," Sutisna said.

The police chief said investigators were having difficulty questioning the Iranians because none of them spoke English. To solve the problem  Bali police had sent for an Iranian interpreter from Jakarta.

In court, the seven Iranians would be prosecuted based on articles in the Narcotics Law 35/2009 carrying the maximum sentence of death and a fine of Rp10 billion.(*)