Drug users, dealers still addicted as ever<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The drug problem prevails with only a slight
\nchange in its distribution and the market demand as users and
\ntraffickers gradually shift to heroin's derivative putauw and
\namphetamine-type shabu-shabu, a police official said Saturday.<\/p>\n
But the change has not, by any means, prompted those in the
\ndrug scene to cast aside other drugs like Ecstasy or marijuana,
\naccording to city police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang.<\/p>\n
\"All the drugs still exist and are consumed by the junkies.
\nBut, yes, we've been confiscating more putauw and shabu-shabu
\nthan Ecstasy since late last year,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
During the first three months of this year alone, the Jakarta
\nPolice narcotics unit has reportedly arrested at least 30
\nsuspected drug users, traffickers or suppliers and shot dead
\nthree others during raids.<\/p>\n
No less than 30 kilograms of marijuana, four cannabis
\nsaplings, 50 grams of putauw, 5.5 kg of shabu-shabu, 780 grams of
\ncocaine and dozens of Ecstasy pills have reportedly been
\nconfiscated during the same period.<\/p>\n
Aritonang emphasized that the small amount of Ecstasy seized
\nfrom suspects could not guarantee that the drug was no longer
\npopular or that no one would be prompted to smuggle the drug from
\nEuropean countries where it originated.<\/p>\n
He made the comments in response to Wednesday's statement by
\nthe acting chief of the customs and excise office at Soekarno-
\nHatta International Airport, Harjadi, about the correlation
\nbetween the decrease in people caught smuggling Ecstasy into the
\ncountry and the ability of some people here to produce the drug
\nthemselves.<\/p>\n
\"We have not found any drug smuggling attempts which related
\nto Ecstasy this year because it can now be made locally,\" Harjadi
\nsaid after briefing the media following the arrest on an
\nIndonesian man who tried to smuggle 4.8 kg of shabu-shabu on a
\nflight from Hong Kong. The drug find was the office's first bust
\nthis year.<\/p>\n
Last year, it confiscated about 63,481 Ecstasy pills, 5.7 kg
\nof heroin, 4.1 kg of shabu-shabu and 2.9 kg of hashish.<\/p>\n
Aritonang said it was possible authorities found it more
\ndifficult to nail drug suspects simply because the latter had
\nbecome more sophisticated and used many means to avoid being
\ncaught smuggling or transporting drugs.<\/p>\n
However, he admitted that some people here had refined their
\nability to produce Ecstasy.<\/p>\n
\"But, they can only make the secondary goods, not the real
\nstuff. They usually mix the real Ecstasy pills, which still need
\nto be supplied by overseas producers, with other ingredients.\"<\/p>\n
A source familiar with the drug scene, who asked for
\nanonymity, shared Aritonang's view, saying that substandard
\nEcstasy was sold much cheaper than imported pills because of its
\nsecondary quality.<\/p>\n
\"The secondary stuff is called oplosan. It is sold for less
\nthan Rp 30,000 per pill, far cheaper than Rp 150,000 for each
\nreal pill of the highest quality,\" he told the Post Saturday.<\/p>\n
He said that an oplosan pill, which also had various names
\naccording to its appearance and the ingredients mixed with it,
\nwas basically made from a mixture of crushed imported Ecstasy,
\ntapioca and cheap tranquilizer-type koplo pills.<\/p>\n
\"If I'm not mistaken, the ratio is 1:3:6. One real pill is
\nmixed with three parts of tapioca and six koplo pills to produce
\nup to 10 oplosan pills.\"<\/p>\n
The more secondary pills produced during the mixing process,
\nthe lower its quality and the cheaper it is, he added.<\/p>\n
The source said there was actually no real change in
\nthe composition of the drug market as each drug had its own group
\nof users.<\/p>\n
\"Ecstasy is used by people from all walks of life who simply
\nwant to have fun in their surroundings, usually at discotheques.
\nWhile heroin, putauw and shabu-shabu are used more by members of
\nthe middle- to upper-class society who prefer to enjoy the drug
\nby themselves or with a small exclusive group at private premises
\nor intimate parties.\"<\/p>\n
He said the demand for each type of drug had not changed and
\nthe price had remained fairly stable. Heroin is sold for about Rp
\n450,000 per gram, shabu-shabu Rp 350,000 per gram and putauw Rp
\n250,000 per gram.<\/p>\n
However, he said, some people might decide to shift from one
\ndrug to another usually depending on the price or just following
\nthe trend.<\/p>\n
\"One drug can be very popular during a certain period of time
\nand seems to be 'forgotten' when another drug becomes popular.
\nBut the drug is still there, it never vanishes.\" (cst)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/drug-users-dealers-still-addicted-as-ever-1447893297",
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