Drug business still operates in Tangerang penitentiary

Drug business still operates in Tangerang penitentiary

Multa Fidrus
The Jakarta Post
Tangerang

Drug dealing is certainly a profitable business, making it
irresistible to inmates of the Tangerang penitentiary. They can
operate quite efficiently from behind bars, seemingly undeterred
by death sentences, already handed down by the Tangerang District
Court.

Using mobile phones to sell drugs to other inmates and to
buyers outside the prison's walls, they sell a range of drugs:
cocaine, putaw (low-grade heroin), shabu-shabu (crystal
methamphetamine), ecstasy pills and marijuana.

They are either fearless or ignorant of the fact that 21
people, including six women, were sentenced to death for drug
related crimes in the last three years by the Tangerang District
Court.

Marijuana and shabu-shabu is commonly sold in tiny packages
for only Rp 10,000 (US$1.17) each.

Police recently raided the penitentiary, arresting 11 inmates
for alleged involvement in drug dealing and seized 69 packages of
marijuana and 250 grams of shabu-shabu.

They later declared five of the inmates to be suspects and the
remaining six prisoners, witnesses in the case.

The five inmates were Marwan Abdullah, 45, believed to be the
group leader; Ridwan Sidik, 28, Jupri Ibrahim, 28, Irwandi
Ibrahim, 30, and Damiri Gultom, 40.

One of the five suspects talked to The Jakarta Post last week
about the drug deals that went on in the penitentiary.

The inmate, who asked for anonymity, said that drugs within
the prison were sold by word of mouth.

"But transactions with people outside the penitentiary were
directly handled by our leader, Marwan. He contacted the buyers
via his cell phone," he said.

The penitentiary's visiting room is a favorite place for drug
transactions between prisoners, and outsiders who pretend to be
their relatives or friends.

Although the room is guarded by two officers -- one inside and
another behind the door -- the transactions can still be
conducted freely.

Last month, the penitentiary's guards arrested a woman, who
claimed to be visiting her boyfriend. They found a gram of putaw
hidden in her sandal.

But the woman is the only supplier to have been arrested. Many
drug suppliers are believed to still be operating in the
penitentiary.

The penitentiary warden Jejen Zaenal HD admitted to the
possibility of collusion between the prison guards and inmates.

"We would not hesitate to fire the prison guards if we found
them cooperating with inmates in drug transactions," Jejen told
the Post, adding that he had already fired two guards for their
involvement in drug deals.

He claimed that the penitentiary's methods for detecting drugs
-- such as the body searches of visitors and inmates -- had
failed to curb the drug business.

"The drug dealers are cleverer than our guards," he argued.

He said that he had asked the National Narcotics Body to
assist the penitentiary by providing sniffer dogs but it had not
responded yet.

In the meantime the inmates are free to continue with their
business.