Drug addicts' sanctuaries under police's nose
Drug addicts' sanctuaries under police's nose
JAKARTA (JP): City police detectives have located a number of
vacant and quiet land plots in the capital which have become
favorite spots for drug addicts and dealers, an official said on
Friday.
City police chief of detectives Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo
revealed that the sites drug addicts frequent included those
located in the densely populated subdistricts of Kebon Kacang in
Central Jakarta, a site in the vicinity of Trisakti University's
Rawasari campus in East Jakarta and another one in Kebayoran
Baru, South Jakarta.
According to Alex, detectives have been ordered to temporarily
continue monitoring the suspected spots prior to carrying out
raids.
The officer said the police have decided to slow down the
operation against drug users in a bid to apprehend the "big
fish" or drug suppliers.
"The consumers are just the little fish," Alex said.
But he insisted that Jakarta Police would no longer let the
"little fish" free as they have done before.
"Previously, we just let them go as we're after the big fish.
Unfortunately, they repeat their offences. Now we wish to teach
these young people some lessons," he said.
Therefore, he strongly hoped for public participation to give
police any information about places used for drug consumption and
transactions and the identities of people suspected of working as
drug traders and suppliers.
According to Alex, many Jakartans still ignore the activities
of youths who regularly convene at quiet places in their
neighborhood.
"This is not only the police's responsibility. Residents and
particularly parents should always closely watch what children
are doing after school," the officer reminded.
He warned that the use of shabu-shabu (crystal metaphetamine)
putaw (low-grade heroin) and heroin have become popular among
Jakarta teenagers in the past few months.
The main problem for police is still locating main suppliers,
or producers of the drugs which have a street value between Rp
30,000 and Rp 80,000 per gram depending upon the grade, Alex
said.
Based on police records and sources close to the drug circle,
regular consumers of shabu-shabu and putaw also include
politicians, businessmen, police officers, servicemen, high
school students and journalists.
In the latest raid on Thursday afternoon, police detectives
apprehended six youths, aged between 17 and 20, in two Kijang
vans parked in front of a vacant plot on Jl. Halimun in Tebet,
South Jakarta.
"One of the suspects is a grandson of a noted law professor in
this country," chief of Jakarta Police detectives of narcotics
unit Lt. Col. Abdullah said, referring to suspect Rama of Jl.
Slamet Riyadi in Matraman, East Jakarta.
Rama and his five friends, including a 19-year-old girl, were
caught red-handed consuming shabu-shabu inside the car.
The girl was identified as Astri of Tebet, while the other
four as Dandy of Pulau Sirih, Bekasi; Ricky Leonardo of
Jakasampurna, Bekasi; Rusvan of Matraman, East Jakarta; and Endra
of Jl. Sindanglaya, Menteng, Central Jakarta.
"We followed the case and later that night we picked up three
alleged shabu-shabu suppliers at their respective residences,"
officer Abdullah explained.
The three alleged suppliers were Nico Sopacua, 39, of Kampung
Rambutan, East Jakarta; Ronny Napitupulu, 26, of Tebet; and Erwin
of Kampung Bojong in Depok.
Earlier on Wednesday, the city police arrested 15 people --
all under the influence -- at a boarding house in Baturaja
subdistrict, Central Jakarta. Four of the suspects were
university students.(emf)