Portuguese man detained in Indonesia with cocaine would receive 6000 euros for transport | Indonesia

A Portuguese man detained in Jakarta on suspicion of drug trafficking was carrying 2500 grams of cocaine in bottles of shampoo and shower gel and told the Indonesian authorities that he would receive 6,000 euros for transporting it, the Indonesian press reported this Tuesday.

According to the newspaper Timewhich quotes the head of inspection and investigation at Soekarno-Hatta airport customs, Zaky Firmansyah, the 22-year-old Portuguese man, was detained on March 17th in terminal 3 at that airport on a flight from Lisbon with a stopover in Dubai, United Arab Emirates United.

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 euros to deliver the goods to Bali.

The Portuguese “received a ticket to fly to Bali, departing at 5:05 p.m. [do dia 17 de Março]. He also had paid accommodation in the Pecatu area,” said Zaki. 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. The detainee and evidence were handed over to the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Crime and Narcotics Unit for further investigation.