JAKARTA ~ Police have cracked a smuggling ring that was importing drugs worth over US$1 million to Indonesia and China, an official said.

Officers arrested 32 people – seven West Africans, two Malaysians and 23 Indonesians – in the two-week operation, the head of the police narcotics division Gories Mere said on Tuesday.

“This is a West African syndicate whose operations and drugs are from the Golden Crescent area in Central Asia and Southeast Asia. The drug is taken to China via Indonesia using women as couriers,” Mere said.

Police seized 8.6 kilograms of heroin, 16.06 kilogram of methamphetamine and 19,938 Ecstasy pills, as well as cash, he said.