"He was caught inside a tourist bus," Senior Commissioner Nico Afinta said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News)- The joint team of Jakarta and Depok Police has detained Hsu Yung Li, a Taiwanese drug smuggler who escaped arrest during a raid in Serang, Banten Province, last Wednesday (July 12).

"He was caught inside a tourist bus," Senior Commissioner Nico Afinta, head of the Jakarta Polices Crime Investigation Directorate, said here on Friday.

The police arrested him while he was aboard the bus in Cilegon, Banten Province, on Thursday afternoon, following a tip off from the bus driver.

During the operation in Mandalika Anyer Hotel in Serang, the police seized 1 ton crystal methamphetamine powder smuggled from China by four Taiwanese.

Two Taiwanese, Chen Wei Cyuan and Liao Guan Yu were detained, while Lin Ming Hui was shot dead for resisting arrest.

An Indonesian national was also detained for involvement in the smuggling attempt.

The Indonesian Police raided Mandalika Anyer Hotel following a tip off from Taiwanese Police.

Indonesia views drug abuse as a real threat to the nation since the country had some 6.4 million drug users in 2016, an increase from 5.9 million in 2015.

Data from Health Research Center of the University of Indonesia revealed that out of the 6.4 million drug users, 22 percent are teenagers, and some 30-40 people die daily due to drug abuse.

Therefore, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has declared that Indonesia is in a state of drug emergency.

Indonesia is one of the few countries to have imposed the harshest drug laws in the world. The country executed had 14 drug convicts in 2015 and four last year.

Meanwhile, Chief of the Indonesian Police General Tito Karnavian has lauded the joint team of the Jakarta and Depok Police for successfully foiling the smuggling attempt in Serang.

Karnavian has instructed his personnel to continue the fight against illicit drugs even if it means shooting drug traffickers dead.

"Continue. If the traffickers resist, finish (them) off," he noted.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017