REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- National Police and Finance Ministry have seized some 1.2 million ecstasy pills suspected to be owned by a syndicate from Netherlands, the police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian stated here on Tuesday. 

"The police seized the drugs on July 21 in a joint operation with the customs agency under the Finance Ministry," Karnavian said at the National Police headquarter in Jakarta. 

During the two months probe, the joint operation started investigating a drug package sent through a hidden route in the northern coast. Following the information, the officers trailed the package to Tangerang district in Banten Province and detained a suspect, Liu Kit Tjung or Acung (39). 

"We searched the warehouse reportedly owned by the suspect and found two large boxes of ecstasy," Karnavian explained.

The boxes contained about 120 "minion" ecstasy, and its weight around 2.2 kilograms per pack or equal to 1.2 million pills. 

According to the initial plan, the suspect would distribute the drugs to the night clubs and some dealers across the country. 

"There were three suspects when we secured the location, but only two remained," Karnavian stated while explaining one suspect was shot dead because he sought to seize the officer's gun.

Because of the crime, the suspects now face minimum six years to maximum 20 years jailed as well as Rp1 billion to Rp10 billion fines.

Following the probe, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani lauded the large seizure launched by the joint-operation. 

"I am glad the team could maintain coordination in the field. I thank the police criminal unit as well as the drugs unit, because their supports help our officers in customs office to track the ecstasy," Mulyani remarked. 

She further explained the ecstasy might be worth around Rp600 billion, and the pills could kill some 2.4 million people. 

Meanwhile, according to the suspects, an inmate at the Nusakambangan prison in Cilacap district, Central Java province reportedly had controlled the drugs distribution to Indonesia. 

"The inmate had been convicted guilty and jailed for 15 years," Karnavian added. 

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