Couple arrested for producing Ecstasy pills

JAKARTA (JP): Police arrested a husband and wife on Friday for allegedly producing Ecstasy pills at their residence in a police housing complex in Jelambar subdistrict, West Jakarta.

Police confiscated thousands of Ecstasy pills and three machines used in the manufacture of the drug from the couple's home.

Jakarta Police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis confirmed the arrests on Sunday, saying the two suspects were identified as 30- year-old Tommy and his 23-year-old wife Ita, who is seven-months pregnant.

The suspects are being detained at city police headquarters for further questioning, Lubis said.

He said police detectives also found and confiscated from the suspects' house chemicals used to produce Ecstasy, 500 grams of shabu-shabu, or crystal methamphetamine, and Rp 16 million in counterfeit money in Rp 50,000 denominations.

The suspects' illegal activities were uncovered by police detectives after intensive surveillance of the suspects' house.

"To locate the suspects, police collected information from those already jailed for narcotics offenses," city police detective chief Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo was quoted by Sinar Pagi daily as saying.

Police suspect a member of the Armed Forces (ABRI) worked with Tommy and Ita in producing the drugs because police found an Army uniform in the suspects' closet -- claimed by Tommy to belong to one of his friends.

"I believe Tommy and Ita have accomplices, including possible support from military personnel for their business.

"We'll build the case and investigate the possibility (of the involvement of ABRI members)," Alex said.

Tommy and Ita rented a house in a police housing complex to help cover their illegal activities, apparently believing nobody would suspect an ecstasy laboratory would be located in a police housing complex.

Alex said the couple, who married two months ago, could produce between 2,000 to 3,000 Ecstasy pills a day and earn Rp 300,000 to Rp 400,000 from the drugs, which were sold by dealers operating in discotheques and other nightspots.

The couple allegedly mixed Ecstasy with additional chemicals, believed to contain some psychotropic substances.

By adding additional chemicals, the suspects could produce between five to 10 pills from the original Ecstasy.

"Tommy and his wife made real but fake Ecstasy pills," Alex said.

Tommy is suspected to be a member of a large drug syndicate which has a wide network in the country and is closely linked with syndicates in other countries.

However, Tommy said he began to produce Ecstasy in his home last year after a friend gave him the machines.

Ita denied involvement in her husband's illegal business.

"We just got married. I don't know much about my husband's business," Ita said.

Police said Ita attempted to flush packages of Ecstasy down the toilet when police raided the house. (emf)