'SHABU-SHABU' MAKES WAY TO INDONESIA FROM SHENZHEN

JAKARTA (JP): Drug traffickers from Shenzhen in China are believed to be
responsible for the flood of shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) into many
major cities in the country, a police officer said on Sunday.

Jakarta Police detectives chief Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo, on his return
from Hong Kong as the leader of a team of six city police detectives, said
Indonesians acted as couriers in bringing the drug from the southeastern
Chinese city. He said most of couriers were Chinese- Indonesians.

He based his conclusions on information from seven of 12 Indonesian national
who are detained in Hong Kong for illegal drug possession.

"We've met the seven people who said that they were only couriers for the
illegal business on a mission to pick up packages of shabu-shabu from
Shenzhen," Alex said.

He said the others were unavailable for questioning.

"The five are still under intensive questioning by the local officers who
also plan to build their case," Alex said.

Alex and his team left for Hong Kong last week on a fact-finding mission
concerning the 12 Indonesian nationals, who were apprehended between
February last year and March this year.

The seven Indonesians -- Haryono Yacob, Ke Kai Eng, Herman Yap, Edy Kosasih,
Bahardhanasia, Ahmadi Surya and Ng Kim Phong, alias Kepin -- are detained at
the Lai Chi Kok and Stanley penitentiaries.

Prosecutors have demanded prison terms of 15 years to 16 years.

The seven jailed suspects said they were arrested in Lo Wu, a Hong Kong city
which borders Shenzhen.

The shabu-shabu was hidden inside rubber body packs made especially for drug
smugglers and attached to their stomachs or legs with adhesive tape.

Based on their information, Jakarta Police detectives have started to
develop their investigation.

"We have some names mentioned by those people. They are Jakartans who gave
the men Jakarta-Hong Kong return tickets and allowance during their stay in
Hong Kong," Alex said.

"But we still need to examine whether they are the true bosses or merely the
gophers," Alex said.

However, he strongly believed that a systematic investigation would
eventually narrow down the drug bosses to several individuals.

He acknowledged the drug chiefs were resourceful in evading the law.

"They are very careful and at the same time very disciplined in their work."

The detained Indonesians interviewed by the officers claimed to not know who
was behind the drug deals. They said they only received the return part of
their ticket and their allowance once they reached Hong Kong.

"It's a classic way to cut the links," Alex commented.

One of the imprisoned suspects, Haryono Yakub, 27, is a resident of Jl.
Sawah Lio in Jembatan Besi, West Jakarta, the officer said.

Haryono, he added, was arrested in March last year for trying to smuggle
three kilograms of shabu-shabu. The packages of drugs were attached to his
two legs.

"He told us that he felt deceived now. A man had convinced him that the item
he would take was only tax-free merchandise, and that even if he got caught,
he would only be jailed for two months at the most," Alex quoted Haryono's
testimony.

Alex said Haryono, who was jailed in Stanley, told him that he agreed to
take the Rp 15 million (US$1,875) job in order to pay off a Rp 8 million
gambling debt.

He told Alex that a man came to his house and gave him tickets and allowance.

Arriving in Hong Kong, he was picked up by a local resident who escorted him
to the Holiday Inn before transporting him to Shenzhen.

During his return journey, immigration officers in Lo Wu were alerted by his
nervy behavior and found the drugs in his possession.

Alex said Haryono appealed to be allowed to serve his sentence in his homeland.

"I'm poor, none of my family can visit me here. Send me back to Indonesia.
I'm willing to serve the punishment in my own country even if the verdict is
longer than here," Alex quoted Haryono as saying. (emf)