Drug case numbers getting higher

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Despite the heavy prison sentences being handed down, the number of drug cases heard by the Tangerang District Court has continued to rise over the past seven years, a court official says.

Tangerang District Court chief Zaenal Arifin told The Jakarta Post the number of drug cases heard by the court had steadily increased since 1998.

"In 1998, this court tried only 20 drug cases and that number rose to 57 in 1999," Zaenal said recently.

He said 2000 saw a significant increase in the number of drug cases to 158. And the figure has continued to go up to 191 in 2001, 272 in 2002, 232 in 2003 and 354 in 2004.

"As law enforcers, we will never compromise with drug abusers and we will continue to hand down harsh punishments to those involved in the drug business," he said.

The Tangerang District Court is known for coming down hard on defendants standing trial on drug charges. The court has sentenced over 20 people to death for drug charges.

Suprapto, a judge who has sentenced nine drug traffickers to death, said capital punishment only provided a deterrent to drug traffickers.

"It seems death sentences imposed on drug traffickers have failed to prevent young people from using drugs," he said.

Meanwhile, the number of cases of drugs being smuggled through Soekarno-Hatta International Airport have dropped over the past two years.

Airport customs and excise chief Nofrial told the Post the decline might be the result of harsher punishments being given to drug traffickers.

"In 2003 we foiled three drug smuggling attempts involving Abdulrahman M. Aljammaz, a Saudi Arabian, Sibel Yalvac, a Dutch woman, and Marco Archer Cordova Moreira, a Brazilian man," he said.

There were two drug smuggling cases in 2004, involving Brazilian Rodrigo Gulartes and Indian Gurdip Singh, both of whom are on trial at the Tangerang District Court.

Aljammaz attempted to smuggle in 2,647 benzodiazepam pills, while Sibel Yalvac was caught carrying 4,862 ecstasy pills from Kuala Lumpur.

According to data from the airport's customs and excise office, between January 2000 and December 2002 officials foiled some 25 drug smuggling attempts, most involving heroin.

Drug cases tried at the Tangerang District Court

No Year Cases Total

Drug Use Trafficking

1 1998 13 7 20

2 1999 50 7 57

3 2000 126 32 158

4 2001 156 35 191

5 2002 225 47 272

6 2003 265 58 325

7 2004 231 123 354

Total drug cases tried 1,377

Source: Tangerang District Court