JAKARTA and KUALA LUMPUR: With numerous reports of the rising drug smuggling trade in Indonesia and Malaysia, both countries hope that by working together they can make in roads into ending the illegal smuggling trade that continues to confound the countries despite the death penalty for those caught with drugs. “What we are looking to create is a joint information trade between both countries police and narcotics forces in order to assist those with more information in the drug trafficking trade,” said one Malaysian narcotics official, adding to Bikyamasr.com that “information is vital to ensuring that both police and customs officials know who is arriving and a potential threat.” For Indonesia's part, its National Police said it hoped that the increase in cooperation and bolstering border patrols will help curtail the illicit drug trade in the region. Indonesian National Police Chief Gen. Sutarman said that as an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia has many points of entry for drugs to be smuggled into the county. “Indonesia has thousands of entry ways, be it legal ports or illegal, in the north, west, south and east. They are open for illegal culprits to enter Indonesia," Sutarman said at narcotics talks between the two countries. Traffickers often smuggle their products by sea, he said, which is why working with the Malaysian side will help watch over the waters much more doable. “In the west, [the drugs] came from the Netherlands using big boats anchoring in international waters, later [the drug shipment] is picked up using speed boats and carried to Indonesia," he said. “And they use firearms. That is why [police] must be vigilant because at times they can fight back." Sutarman said that since 2010, the majority of the drugs were shipped via Malaysia. To reduce shipments, he added, Indonesian police were asking Malaysian authorities to step up patrols. Indonesian National Police Narcotics Director Arman Depari said in comments published by The Jakarta Globe that the talks focused on strategic, tactical and operational aspects of drug-smuggling eradication. “We will see if we can conduct a joint investigation or joint operations," Arman said, adding that cooperation between the two law enforcement agencies would cut down on bureaucratic red tapes. “E-mail and calls between staffers" will be used more under the cooperation arrangement, the one-star general said. Both narcotics departments called for vigilance in dealing with African migrants. Since late July, four African women were also found with the same drugs, worth RM2.82mil hidden in their luggages, said KLIA Customs director Badaruddin Mohamed Rafik. In late August, a Nigerian man was convicted of drug trafficking in Malaysia and is to face the death penalty. The man, Moses Chinedu Nwosu, 50, was found guilty of trafficking drugs in the country by the High Court and is to face the mandatory death sentence for drug-related offenses. He was sentenced after the court said that the prosecution was able to prove “beyond a reasonable doubt" the man's guilt. The Nigerian had owned a restaurant in Bangkok and was attending university in Thailand when he was arrested in Malaysia with over 14,000 kilograms of marijuana in March 2011. He was charged under Section 39(B) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. In his judgement, the High Court said that Moses' “testimony amounted to a mere denial and failed to raise a reasonable doubt on the case against him. “The accused testified that the black bag seized from him belonged to a Malay man who traveled in the taxi with him from Bukit Kayu Hitam to Alor Setar. “However, according to a witness, Moses was seen carrying the black bag from the parking lot to the terminal and its key was found in his pocket," the court added.
