Comedian Polo arrested for drugs

JAKARTA (JP): City police detectives arrested on Thursday night well-known comedian Barata Nugroho, popularly called Polo, for possessing illegal drugs, an officer at the city police headquarters said.

"The comedian was arrested at his house at 7 p.m. in Tanjung Duren in West Jakarta," city police headquarters spokesman Supt. Muhammad Nur Usman said.

The kind of drug found in Barata's possession was not known yet as the investigation is still underway, he said.

A police source, however, said it was shabu-shabu (crystal metamphetamine).

"The comedian is currently being interrogated at the city police narcotics unit," Nur told The Jakarta Post late on Thursday night.

The 38-year-old comedian appears on several television shows with the traditional comedy group Srimulat.

Polo, who is usually a maid in the Srimulat show, is currently starring in a television advertisement.

Another comedian Sudharmaji alias Doyok, who sometimes also performs with Srimulat, was recently arrested for possessing shabu-shabu.

Doyok will be tried in Tangerang soon. (asa)