Death sentence sought for drug offenders

Death sentence sought for drug offenders

JAKARTA (JP): With an increasing trend of drug abuse, National
Police headquarters is seeking a more effective preventive
measure against the use and sale of drugs.

Spokesman for the National Police Headquarters Brig. Gen.
Togar M. Sianipar suggested on Wednesday that Indonesia should
consider implementing the death penalty for drug offenders.

"If Indonesia is really serious in its fight against drugs,
the government must consider drafting a law to enact the death
penalty for drug traffickers and dealers," he told reporters.

"Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Japan sentence drug
traffickers and dealers to death. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, drug
dealers get out of jail within months," he said.

Article 60 of Law No.5/1997 on psychotropic substances carries
a maximum penalty of 15 years in jail or a fine of up to Rp 200
million (US$26,666).

Quoting a police report, Togar said world drug syndicates had
started using Asians as traffickers more frequently than
Nigerians to bring drugs into Indonesia.

"It's easier to use traffickers of Asian origin as morphine
and heroin enter Indonesia through Asia's Golden Triangle
(Thailand, Laos, Myanmar).

"Shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) comes in from China,
via Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore. Meanwhile, cocaine comes in
from Columbia," he said.

"Up to 50 kilograms of heroin enters Indonesia every month.
However drugs are also leaving Indonesia, the world today has
direct access to Aceh's marijuana," he said.

Jakarta, Surabaya and Bandung are the three major centers for
drug consumption in the country.

He said police had recorded 521 cases of narcotics abuse in
the first half of this year.

"By the end of this year, the number of cases of drug abuse
could exceed last year's record of 958 cases," he said.

Meanwhile, former ambassador to the United States Lt. Gen.
(ret) Hasnan Habib confirmed that Military officials have long
supported the drug network in Southeast Asia.

"Some military officers in Southeast Asia regions back the
drug network. Not only in Indonesia, but also in Thailand, Japan
and the rest of the Asian region," he said.

Disclose

Hasnan called on the Indonesian Military (TNI) to disclose the
true story of an Army's Special Force (Kopassus) member Second
Lt. Agus Ishok, who was caught earlier this month for drugs use
and possession.

"TNI must dare to take responsibility. It must explain to the
people what the case was all about," he told reporters at the
sidelines of a seminar on the future welfare of the National
Police on Wednesday.

"Whatever the consequence of the case, TNI must explain," he
said.

Meanwhile, City Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman
still declined to comment on Agus' involvement in the case.

"I don't know... I don't know anything about the case anymore.
Don't ask me about it. I am not handling the case," Noegroho told
reporters on Wednesday.

Asked whether he knew that Agus had been detained at the
Kopassus' headquarters, Noegroho replied: "don't ask me!"

"If you heard it from the Kopassus guys, why don't you ask
them. I am not handling this case."

As reported earlier, West Jakarta Police apprehended Agus and
his friend Donny in possession of heroin, shabu-shabu and more
than 6,000 ecstasy pills in a hotel on Aug. 8.

Upon Noegroho's order, Agus, the eldest son of a top-ranking
Army officer, was later escorted to his father's home to settle
the case in accordance with the military procedures", a source
had said. (ylt)