The man carried the drugs in bottles of shampoo and shower gel and told Indonesian authorities that he would receive €6,000 for transporting it, the Indonesian press reported today.
According to the newspaper Tempo, which quotes the head of inspection and investigation at Soekarno-Hatta Airport customs, Zaky Firmansyah, the 22-year-old Portuguese man was detained on March 17 in terminal 3 at that airport on a flight from Lisbon with a stopover at Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The newspaper states that the young man's “suspicious behavior” caught the attention of customs officials, who, when they searched his luggage, found two bottles of shampoo and a bottle of shower gel that had a “chemical odor”.
Tests on the contents of the containers “tested positive for a class I cocaine-type narcotic,” Zaky Firmansyah told Indonesian media on Monday.
Tempo also states that the Portuguese man said he was traveling alone, that it was his first time in Indonesia and that he did not own the drugs, which were given to him before traveling.
“He said the drugs were given to him three hours before the flight by someone he didn’t know,” said Zaki Firmansyah.
The head of inspection and investigation at Soekarno-Hatta airport customs also highlighted to the newspaper that the Portuguese man said he was introduced to the person who asked him to transport the drugs by a friend in Portugal and that he was offered €6000 to deliver the goods to Bali.
The Portuguese man “received a ticket to fly to Bali, departing at 5:05 pm [on March 17] and also had paid accommodation in the Pecatu area," said Zaki.
The detainee and evidence were handed over to the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Crime and Narcotics Unit for further investigation.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, another Portuguese citizen was detained in connection with the same case.
The 22-year-old is accused of violating law 35/2009 on narcotics, which provides for a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment.
With friends like that, who needs enemies.
By William from Other on 26 Mar 2024, 13:53