Leaders seek death for Riau ecstasy producers<\/p>\n
Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam, Riau<\/p>\n
The Tanjung Balai Karimun administration in Riau province and
\nlocal religious and community leaders demanded on Tuesday the
\ndeath sentence for the six drug dealers arrested last week with
\nalmost 15,000 ecstasy pills.<\/p>\n
Tanjung Balai Karimun Regent Muhammad Sani was apparently
\noutraged by the uncovering of the drug operation leading to the
\narrest of the suspects who were charged with producing and
\ndistributing the illegal drug worth nearly Rp 600 million in his
\ntown.<\/p>\n
\"I want the perpetrators punished severely. The police should
\nnot be afraid to uncover those behind the production of the
\necstasy pills,\" Sani said.<\/p>\n
\"It is quite embarrassing for our region. They (the suspects)
\nhave tried to destroy a whole generation,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The regent said that based on Law No. 5\/1997 on psychotropic
\nsubstances, drug producers can be sentenced to death.<\/p>\n
In a response to the demand, West Riau Islands District Police
\nchief Adj. Sr. Comr. Agung Sabar Santoso vowed to seek the
\nharshest penalties for the accused.<\/p>\n
The law on psychotropic substances stipulates that drug
\nproducers, suppliers and users involved in organized crime will
\nreceive at least 20 years in prison, life imprisonment or the
\ndeath sentence, or will be fined Rp 750 million.<\/p>\n
The six suspects -- identified as A. Hai, 29; Doni, 22; Ahmad,
\n34; Andi, 20; Surya, 24; and Acing, 44 -- were rounded up on
\nFriday evening in Meral subdistrict, Tanjung Balai Karimun
\nregency.<\/p>\n
Agung said on Monday the suspects produced the ecstasy pills
\nat Ahmad's house, where the authorities also seized manufacturing
\nequipment and materials as well as other equipment necessary for
\nmaking the drug.<\/p>\n
\"All the equipment was foreign-made,\" he told The Jakarta Post
\non Monday.<\/p>\n
\"We are tracking down their network to find the suppliers of
\nthe machines and drug-making materials. We have obtained their
\nnames,\" Agung added.<\/p>\n
Sani admitted he was shocked by the arrest of the suspects and
\nthe discovery of their ecstasy-making factory in his tiny town of
\nonly 615 square kilometers with around 300,000 residents.<\/p>\n
It is a \"negative impact of modernity\" in Tanjung Balai
\nKarimun, where infrastructure facilities are still limited, he
\nremarked.<\/p>\n
\"I have instructed all sides here, such as subdistrict,
\nvillage and subvillage heads, and local people, to be on alert.
\nThey must report to the relevant authorities even if they observe
\nsuspicious looking people in their neighborhoods, let alone drug
\ndealers,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Also, Endang Tamami, who chairs the city's Indonesian Ulemas
\nCouncil (MUI), urged the police to thoroughly investigate the
\nnetwork of drug dealers in order to \"satisfy\" the people's
\ninterests.<\/p>\n
\"If the network is not uncovered, it will endanger the young
\ngeneration in Tanjung Balai Karimun, including the children of
\nthe security officials themselves,\" he said.<\/p>\n
As part of comprehensive efforts to eradicate crime in the
\ncity, the Tanjung Balai Karimun administration should move to
\n\"put in order\" entertainment places there, where drug dealing,
\ngambling and prostitution are commonplace.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/leaders-seek-death-for-riau-ecstasy-producers-1447893297",
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