REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- A joint team of police and customs investigators are checking a Taiwanese-flagged ship on suspicion of carrying narcotic drugs in Batam, Riau Islands. Director of narcotic crimes of the police's Crime Investigation Department Brigadier General Eko Daniyanto confirmed the information in a text message received here early on Saturday morning.
The investigation also involved sniffer dogs belonging to the customs office in Batam.
On Friday a patrol boat of the regional office of the special customs directorate general in Riau Islands province intercepted Win Long in the Philips Strait waters separating Indonesia and Singapore on suspicion of carrying narcotic drugs to be smuggled into Indonesia.
The ship was then towed into the customs office in Ketapang in the Karimun district to have its cargo unloaded for investigation.
"We have worked for five hours so far and we are still continuing," Daniyanto said.
On Tuesday (Feb 20) police and customs officers caught a Taiwanese ship with a Singapore flag illegally carrying 1.8 tons of methamphetamine in Batam waters.
Four suspects who are ship crew and skipper have been arrested. They are known as Tan Mai (69), Tan Yi (33), Tan Hui (43, the skipper) and Liu Yin Hua (63) who is a Taiwanese national.
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