A Singaporean has been arrested in Bali after allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs in via postal service, but police are still in pursuit of a British suspect who they believe to be the owner of the drugs.
Police arrested 32-year-old Muhammad Faliq Bin Nordin, when the Singaporean allegedly tried to pick up two packages containing drugs from a Renon, Denpasar post office on Sept. 10. The Singaporean is understood to have been working as a DJ and event organizer for the past four months in Bali.
The first package had arrived at the post office on Aug 29, while the second package came on Sept 9. Both were reportedly postmarked from the Netherlands and addressed to Kobu Raum.
Faliq came to the post office with a letter indicating that Kobu Raum gave him permission to pick-up the package, Bali and Nusa Tenggara Customs Office head Syarif Hidayat said in press conference on Monday.
Bali Police have said that Raum has been identified as a British citizen and they are currently searching for his whereabouts.
The first package was flagged as suspicious upon its arrival in August, when screened. After a more thorough inspection, Customs and Excise officers found 100.2 grams of white powder that later tested positive as meth. The powder was camouflaged, hidden in ceramic pottery that had been covered with candle wax. The second package was similar, but instead of meth, had 30.3 grams of cocaine hidden inside.
According to Bandwagon, Faliq is a well known figure among the local underground techno community, spinning under the name of FAL:X. His name is attached to renowned techno labels such as Italo Business and Cobb Recordings, and has played in Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines aside from regular stints in a number of clubs here.
Like Singapore, Indonesia imposes some of the toughest drug laws in the world. Indonesian drug laws prescribe the death penalty for narcotics trafficking and international pressure against capital punishment have not fazed reformist president Joko Widodo that much. Two of the Bali Nine — Australian ringleaders who plotted to smuggle heroin out of Bali — were executed last year despite global anger. The rest are serving life in prison.
With words by Coconuts Bali
