Ambon police step up fight against drugs

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.