MAN ARRESTED WITH 38,000 ECSTASY PILLS

JAKARTA (JP): City police detectives arrested a 35-year-old former coffin
maker on Monday for allegedly possessing a total of 38,172 ecstasy pills
worth over Rp 1.7 billion (US$234,500).

It is believed to be the country's single largest ecstasy seizure. In 1996,
television actress Zarima was arrested with 29,677 ecstasy pills.

The suspect, identified as Khwan Tjiang, alias Atjiang, alias Benny
Sembiring, a resident of Kalideres, West Jakarta, claimed to not know who
really owned the drugs.

Police said the pills were discovered in a suitcase in an upscale house in
Taman Surya III housing complex in Cengkareng, West Jakarta.

Tjiang repeatedly pleaded his innocence to the police. He said he had been
hired by a man called Bang (brother) Lubis to watch the house and package
the pills.

"It's Bang Lubis who asked me to package the pills and I don't know his
address," an officer quoted Tjiang as saying.

Jakarta Police detectives chief Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo said on Tuesday
he and his men did not know the identity of the true owner of the drugs.

"We'll build the case and hope that we can identify this Lubis soon," Alex
said, adding that Tjiang was still being questioned.

He said that as in many cases of this size, it could be difficult to arrest
the real owner of the drugs because he or she would probably have
connections with certain powerful people in the country.

"It has always been difficult for us. Besides that, the members of these
well-organized drugs syndicates are smart enough to keep their links with
each other to a minimum," Alex said.

He said that Tjiang was only able to contact Lubis through his cellular
phone, adding that police had unsuccessfully attempted to contact Lubis
through his phone.

The arrest of Tjiang followed a week-long surveillance of the house after
police received a tip-off from an anonymous caller on Monday last week.

The unidentified caller said a man riding a motorcycle was seen around an
empty house in the complex and his activities seemed suspicious.

Snack packets

Tjiang said he was only hired by Lubis to place the pills into empty snack
packets.

He said he used empty Cheetos bags for "small orders" of 2,500 pills and
empty Happytos bags for orders of between 5,000 and 10,000 pills.

The packets were then sealed using a special machine, which was also
confiscated during the raid.

Tjiang said he filled between 20 and 30 orders a day for which he received
between Rp 250,000 and Rp 300,000 per week from Bang Lubis.

"Ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers always picked up the packages and delivered
the pills," he said.

Ojek drivers were also used by Lubis to deliver messages to Tjiang.

"I've been doing this job for three weeks, since Bang Lubis hired me to
guard the house in Taman Surya," Tjiang, who claimed to only have an
elementary school education, said.

Police said Lubis employed more than one ojek driver at the housing complex
to deliver the packages of ecstasy to various entertainment spots.

Before raiding the house, several police detectives went undercover as ojek
drivers to learn more about the operation.

"When we spoke with the ojek drivers, the clues all led to Tjiang, who often
came to the empty house and left the house after the ojek drivers departed,"
one of the detectives said.

Tjiang said the pills were distributed to certain discotheques in West and
North Jakarta, but claimed he did not know the names of the entertainment spots.

The pills -- claimed to be of the highest-quality -- were sold for Rp 40,000
each.

With or without Lubis, Tjiang would face up to 15 years in prison and a fine
of up to Rp 300 million for possessing and distributing the pills. (emf)