50 kilograms of heroin coming into

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50 kilograms of heroin coming into Indonesia every month: report 

BODY: 
AFP, Jakarta, 15 November 1999.   At least 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of
heroin pours into Indonesia every month, most of it by courier from the
Golden Triangle countries of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, a report said Monday. 

The Indonesian Observer quoted Colonel Wilhelmus Laturete, the head of the
National Police drugs
and narcotics division as saying the figures were obtained from the US Drug
Enforcement Agency
(DEA). 

The DEA information indicated that at least one member of an international
drug syndicate entered
Indonesia daily carrying around 1.5 kilograms of heroin, and in some cases
three people daily carrying a
total of 4.5 kilograms of the narcotic. 

That information tallied with drug seizures made at Jakarta's Sukarno-Hatta
international airport,
Laturete said. 

"When we interrogate the suspects they always say that it is not the first
time they have entered through
SH airport. Many even inform us that they have acted as couriers at least
three or four times with
payments of up to 6,000 dollars for each trip," he said. 

He added that once in the country, the drugs were carried by local couriers
to different cities and bar
and nightclub distribution points, and that his force needed more
sophisticated detecting equipmnent and
personnel. 

The Observer quoted customs and police sources as saying that around 15
kilograms of heroin was
seized in Indonesia monthly. 

It also quoted national police chief Rusmanhadi (Eds: one name) as saying
stern action had been taken
against police in East Java found to be involved in drug sales and
distribution. 

In addition to the estimated 480,000 heroin users in the country (based on
a figure of one gram per user
per month), ecstacy pills, amphetamines, marijuana and cocaine were also
entering the country in large
quanities, the Observer said. 

Those drugs were sent by "certain individuals" through air cargo shipments
and by mail from Nigeria,
Thailand and Singapore and packed in a way that fooled police dogs, the
Observer said. 


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