Ambon police step up fight against drugs

M. Azis Tunny The Jakarta Post/Ambon

Around 360 police officers from the Ambon and Lease Islands Police underwent urine tests on Monday to ensure they were drug free.

Ambon and Lease Islands Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Leonidas Braksan said the tests had been ordered to show the police's commitment to fighting the drug trade in Ambon.

"If there are police personnel who test positive for drugs, we'll investigate them. If they're users, then we will put them under special supervision, but if they're involved as dealers, we'll process them according to law," Leonidas told journalists.

On Sunday, a drug dealer, Sayuti Sanaky, who is also a building contractor in Ambon, was arrested by Ambon Police. When arrested, he said that his regular customers included 30 police officers.

The arrest, which was carried out at the same time as three other drug dealers were arrested, also appeared to confirm 15 police officers and military troops as drug users after the police found a book belonging to the drug dealer listing his customers. Of the 15 security forces personnel listed, 13 were from the police and two from the military.

Leonidas confirmed the alleged involvement of police and military personnel in the case.

"We learned about it both from the dealer's list in the book and the information he gave to investigators. That's why I've ordered all my officers, with no exception, to undergo a test," he said, adding that the local police had also reported its findings to the Maluku Police.

He said that the drugs came into the city from Jakarta on board of ships. He blamed the lack of control over the drugs trade in the past as being due to the unstable security situation in the area.

"Now that situation is back to normal in Ambon, we'll focus on the fight against drugs," he said.