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)