Critics say police turn blind eye to role of guards in drug trade
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The issue of prison inmates running drug rings while they are behind bars will likely remain in the headlines as the police seem reluctant to delve into the role of prison guards in the drug trade.
Police said on Tuesday they did not have any evidence implicating guards in Cipinang Penitentiary in East Jakarta in the case of Nigerian inmate Nwaolisa Hansen Anthony, who ran an international drug network while serving a life sentence there.
"We found no evidence which indicates their (prison guards) involvement. We just found the cell phone used by the inmate," said the chief of the city police's Drugs and Narcotics Division, Sr. Comr. Carlo Brix Tewu.
Concurring with Carlo, the chief of the city police's drug detectives unit, the unit which uncovered the drug ring, Adj. Sr. Comr. Anjan P. Putra, also said that the police had no plans to question prison guards over the incident.
The police revealed on Monday that each week Anthony's men in Pakistan would smuggle between four and five kilograms of heroin through the country.
Meanwhile, Adrianus Meliala, a criminologist at the University of Indonesia, urged the police to investigate the role of the prison guards in the case, including the prison warden.
"It is the culture among prison guards that the boss also gets a cut of the money extorted from the inmates by the lower-ranking guards," said Adrianus.
Adrianus alleged that the fact that things like cell phones and cash, which were supposed to be strictly prohibited to the inmates, could be obtained easily by the prisoners clearly indicated that the prison guards were intentionally using the inmates as cash cows through extortion.
"Those inmates are not in an equal position to the prison guards. That's why they're easy prey for extortion by the prison guards. It's not simply a case of bribery," said Adrianus.
Anthony controlled the drug network using a cell phone to contact traffickers taking heroin into the country.
In previous cases, some prison employees were arrested for alleged drug trafficking, but there have been no reports of their being brought to trial.
Drug-related offenses in prison
Jan. 28, 2003: Police arrested Innocent Iwuofor for running a drug ring for two years while serving a 12-year sentence in Tangerang Prison.
Feb. 18, 2003: Yusman Harahap ad Syukur Denny, both guards in Cipinang Penitentiary, were arrested after selling drugs in the prison.
March 3, 2003: Abdul Rojak, an employee of the Salemba Penitentiary in Central Jakarta, and Iwan and Alfon, both inmates, were arrested for trading in drugs.
May 12, 2003: Three inmates in Tangerang Penitentiary arrested by police for selling drugs in prison.
May 13, 2003: Yuli S, employee of the Pondok Bambu Women's Penitentiary in East Jakarta arrested by police for selling drugs.
June 2, 2003: Police uncovered drug ring led by Nwaolisa Hansen Anthony.