Malaysia Caught For Bringing Hashish

Karimun, Riau Islands, Feb 6 (ANTARA) - A Malaysian, Naveendram Ramasundram (26) has been caught by Tanjung Balai customs office personnel in Karimun, Riau Islands, for having in his possession hashish or marijuana. Naveendram Ramasundram was arrested after descending from the ferry MT Tuah II from Kukup, Malaysia, at the Tanjung Balai international port of Karimun on Sunday. The customs officers caught the man of Selangor, Malaysia, after detecting some suspicious thing in a cigarette pack in X-ray at the port`s exist. "The suspect has in his possession the hashish in a cigarette pack. At first he looked calm and steady, but suddenly became restless and nervous when the customs personnel examined the cigarette pack which turned out to contain hashish mixed with tobacco," head of the Tanjung Balai customs supervision division in Karimun, Basuki Suryanto said in Tanjung Balai Sunday. The suspect along with the evidence was then taken by the security officers to the Tanjung Balai customs office in Karimun for further examination. "The result of the examination shows that the suspect had come to Taxamnjung Balai several times, but he admitted only twice bringing hashish," Basuki said. He said the case will be handed over to the Karimun police as the suspect has violated article 78 No 35/2009 on narcotics. Basuki said the police has also caught people smuggling 7,018 ecstasy pills from Kukup on Thursday (Jan 12). As an area bordering with Singapore and Malaysia, Karimun is a transit and entrance of narcotics into the country. Chairman of the Karimun narcotic agency Aunur Rafiq said the smuggling of narcotics from abroad has been fluctuating, in 2008, 444 pills of ecstasy had been smuggled into the country and in 2009, 15,071 ecstasy pills, in 2011, 10,112 pills. "Karimun is a transit for narcotics from abroad, not an area for its production. We hope all the relevant government agencies would increase their coordination and alertness of the operations of narcotic syndicates," he said.