153 arrested in drug raids at N. Jakarta discotheques

JAKARTA (JP): Police apprehended 153 alleged drug users in a series of routine Kilat Jaya operations in five discotheques in North Jakarta Saturday night, police said.

Deputy chief of the North Jakarta police precinct Maj. Edwardsyah Pernong said the suspects were caught red-handed using drugs such as Ecstasy, marijuana, the amphetamine derivative shabu-shabu and heroin.

"The raid was conducted based on residents' reports that a number of discotheques there had become hangouts for drug users," Edwardsyah said.

Police confiscated 70 Ecstasy pills, 12 marijuana joints hidden in cigarette packets and 10 small packages of shabu-shabu and heroin as well as six Mickey Mouse gambling machines.

About 275 officers were deployed to raid the five discotheques: Diskotek 168 in the Duta Harapan Indah complex in Penjaringan, Diskotek Bon on Jl. Teluk Gong, Diskotek 18 on Jl. Jembatan Tiga, Diskotek Bar in Pluit and Diskotek Hal in Ancol, all in North Jakarta.

Forensic and drug expert Mun'im Idris, who was involved in the operation, said most of the visitors who were caught red-handed using drugs could not deny their actions.

"With a special test kit we can check on the physical condition of the guests," he said. "Drug users usually have shaky hands and pale faces and their pupils are dilated."

The police also questioned some couples who were found naked in some of the dark rooms available in the discotheques, Edwardsyah said.

"But if they were not involved in drug cases, we will let them go."

He said that none of the users caught in the operation were drug dealers but further information would be obtained from the users.

"It is very important for people to realize the danger of using drugs," he said, adding that most of the users admitted that they only do such things for fun.

"We will continue to crack down on places which tend to be used by drug consumers and dealers."

Separately, Bekasi Police arrested three marijuana dealers in Pondok Gede, Bekasi Saturday night.

The three suspects were identified as Suriyadi Yusuf, 19, Zainuddin, 40 and Bahrul Kardan, 48.

Police confiscated four grams of heroin and five kilograms of marijuana during the raid conducted jointly with Cikarang Police precinct officers.

"All of the suspects are detained at Bekasi Police precinct for further investigation," head of Bekasi Police Lt. Col. Adjie Rustam said.

All of the suspects involved in drug abuse will be charged under the Psychotropics Law No.5/1997, which carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a Rp 50 million fine. (edt)