Dead man found in alley

JAKARTA (JP): Residents of Palmerah, West Jakarta, found the body of a 24-year-old man lying in an alley near Grogol River on Monday morning. The man is believed to have died from a drug overdose.

A member of a local civil defense group, who requested anonymity, told reporters at the morgue of Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital the body of Suryanata was discovered by residents at about 5 a.m.

He said the residents then alerted him. "I rushed to the scene and secured the area. I then sent a colleague to report the case at the nearby Palmerah Police station."

He also said that Suryanata had been a drug addict, like many of his friends, for about one year. The man said many older residents had repeatedly complained to the authorities about the growing number of local youths who were abusing drugs, but had never received an appropriate response.

The victim's uncle, Mahmud, was of the same opinion. He said his nephew worked as an unofficial parking attendant and used all of his money to purchase putaw (low-grade heroin).

Mahmud said Suryanata was introduced to the drug by his friends. "He usually consumed putaw with his friends or alone in a public toilet," Mahmud said, adding that he once found Suryanata unconscious in a public toilet with a needle in his arm. (06)