"Airport X-ray machines fail police drug smuggling test"

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Airport X-ray machines fail police drug smuggling test 
By Multa Fidrus
Indonesia - The Jakarta Post


The botched demonstration of an X-ray machine at Soekarno-Hatta
International Airport has exposed the facility as a weak spot in the
government's efforts to combat the drug trade.

The machine failed to detect crystal methamphetamine, locally known as shabu
shabu, which had been deliberately placed in a bag as part of a police
demonstration. 

The demonstration was part of a case against a Nepalese man accused of
smuggling 650 grams of crystal methamphetamine through the airport. 

"The reenactment at the airport was just to see how the X-ray machines
inspected the contents of passengers' suitcases. (Now) we've all seen how
drugs can pass through the airport," Sr. Comr. Siswandi from the National
Police said. 

National Police worked in tandem with the National Narcotics Body to carry
out the reenactment. 

During the case reconstruction, police put the bag containing crystal
methamphetamine through the X-ray machines at both the departure and arrival
checkpoints. 

"The X-Ray machines could not detect the shabu-shabu. The drug went
through," Siswandi said. 

Police arrested the Nepalese citizen, Gopan Sherpa along with Elisa, an
Indonesian, at a four-star hotel in Petamburan, Central Jakarta on March 26.


Police said they seized 650 grams of crystal methamphetamine in the hotel
room. Police estimated the drug's street value to be Rp 650 million
(US$7,065). 

The arrest has been trumpeted as a big catch, with police alleging both
Sherpa and Elisa were part of a major drug ring headed by Austrian national
and prison inmate Thomas Borziski. 

Borziski is serving 18 months in Cipinang Penitentiary, East Jakarta, after
being arrested last year for heroin trafficking. 

Police said Borziski used his cell phone to deal drugs from behind bars. The
agency arrested Sherpa and Elisa following a tip from the Cipinang
penitentiary that two prison inmates, identified as Thomas and Budi, would
receive a drug delivery from them. 

According to Siswandi, the drugs were ordered by Budi through Thomas. Thomas
then allegedly asked Elisa, who is his wife, to pick up the drugs from
Sherpa at the hotel and bring them to him. 

Sherpa flew from Nepal through Singapore to Hang Nadim airport in Batam.
>From Batam, he flew to Soekarno-Hatta Airport with Adam Air. 

Siswandi said the X-ray machines failed in their job of detecting contraband
substances. 

"Officers were not suspicious at all because the machine couldn't detect the
drug," he said. 

He called on PT Angkasa Pura II, the company that operates the airport, to
install X-ray machines capable of detecting drugs inside passengers' baggage
at all terminals. 

"We believe that, due to the weaknesses of the existing checking machines at
terminals, drugs can be easily smuggled through the airport," Siswandi said.


Responding to Siswandi's call, the head of Angkasa Pura, Kasmin Kamil said
it was not the operator's responsibility to equip all checking points with
X-Ray machines. 

Kasmin said Angkasa Pura was only responsible for checking baggage at the
departure terminals while Customs and Excise had the responsibility of
conducting checks at the arrival terminals. 

"Our X-ray machines are designed to detect things that will likely cause
danger to flights or be used to commit a crime during the flight, like
pistols or sharp weapons," he said. 

Kasmin said he was confident that despite the existing machines' simplicity,
his officers had the necessary experience to "identify suspicious passengers
who were likely to be hiding drugs." 

He said the company would upgrade the machines if official instructions were
made by the government to upgrade them.

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