Detective detained after 'ecstasy' actress escapes

Detective detained after 'ecstasy' actress escapes

JAKARTA (JP): The head of the Tangerang Police detectives has
been dismissed from his post and arrested for alleged negligence
which led to the escape of a female suspect, apprehended recently
for possessing a huge amount of Ecstasy pills.

Capt. Ade Sutiana has been detained for further questioning
since Friday by interrogators at the Greater Jakarta Police
Internal Affairs division, Spokesman Lt. Col. Iman Haryatna said
yesterday.

Pending the outcome of his court-martial, Ade has not yet been
fired from the police force, Iman said.

"Based on the preliminary investigation, he has been charged
with shirking his job, as required by standard police procedures
in accompanying detainees," the spokesman said.

He, for example, broke the rules by driving the suspect to
another place instead of to the place designated by his superior
and leaving the suspect, with hands uncuffed, unaccompanied upon
arrival, Iman said.

The female suspect, Zarima, 24, a television actress, was
apprehended on Wednesday along with 29,677 Ecstasy pills worth
over Rp 1.78 billion (US$757,700) at her home in the Taman Alfa
Indah housing complex in Joglo, West Jakarta.

The next day Ade, who led the raid, publicly announced the
successful drug haul.

The drug bust is the country's second biggest this year. Four
people were arrested in May at Soekarno-Hatta International
Airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle 60,000 Ecstasy pills
into the country.

According to Iman, Ade was assigned by the Tangerang Police
chief, Lt. Col. Djoko Satryo, to escort Zarima and the pills to
the Jakarta Police Headquarters for further investigation.

"There were two cars, including Ade's sedan, provided for the
escort," Iman said, adding that Ade, Zarima and another officer,
who drove the car, were in Ade's vehicle.

On the way to the city police headquarters, about one hour's
drive from Tangerang, the other car got left behind in traffic,
Iman said.

While the other car went directly to the city police
headquarters, Ade's car went in the other direction.

"The actress asked officer Ade to let her take a bath at her
mother's home located in the same complex as her own house," Iman
said.

Zarima claimed that she had not bathed since her arrest on
Wednesday, Iman said.

While Ade was talking with her mother in the living room,
Zarima used the chance to escape through a second-floor window,
Iman said.

"In the meantime, some of her relatives at the house,
including her mother, are still being questioned," said the
spokesman.

Reliable sources at the Tangerang police said that the two
cars left the precinct at 6 p.m. Thursday and Ade's car arrived
at Zarima's mother's at about 2 a.m. Friday.

Iman refused to say where Ade's car went before heading to
Zarima's mother's house.

"But we have not yet found any evidence that Ade intentionally
did anything wrong," Iman said.

Zarima, who earlier claimed that the pills belonged to a
friend, is now listed as one of the most wanted criminals in
town, the officer said.

Airport officials have been informed not to let her leave the
country.

"All the Ecstasy pills are now safely at the city police
headquarters here," said Iman.

The _ational Police has been trying hard to salvage its
reputation, and the smooth escape of the actress is considered
another blow to its image. (bsr/28)