REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BEIJING - Tens of Indonesian citizens have been detained in China on narcotics and illegal drug charges, according to the National Narcotic Agency (BNN). The agency`s director of eradication, Benny Mamoto, told ANTARA News here on Wednesday that most of the Indonesian citizens being held in China were women.

"Many of them have been used as couriers by drug syndicates in China," he said.

He noted that to attract the Indonesian women, the syndicate promised to arrange marriages and provide better livelihoods. "What is concerning is that they were usually impregnated (before being used as couriers) because pregnant women involved in narcotics cases are not jailed here, but would immediately be deported to Indonesia," he said.

According to data obtained by Antara, there are currently 41 Indonesian citizens involved in narcotics cases in China - ten held in Beijing and 31 in Gungzhou. Based on Article 347 of China`s Criminal Law on illegal drugs, traffickers and smugglers may be jailed for 15 years or receive harsher terms of life imprisonment or death.

According to officials, international drug syndicates usually used women aged 20 to 40 years who are attractive, made an earlier visit alone to a country and had contacts with persons from Asian or Latin American countries producing heroin or other kinds of drugs.

Further, the syndicates usually sent these women to small airports in China. It was noted that these women are vulnerable and generally have marriage problems. Syndicate members then exploited them to become their partners in their operation in or outside Indonesia with a promise of security and protection.

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