Drug convict soap actor caught with drugs

Drug convict soap actor caught with drugs

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

That which is hard to believe could happen in real life can
always be seen in local TV soap operas, or in the lives of the
actors.

Soap opera actor Ibrahim Solahuddin, 32, aka Ibra Azhari, had
almost two years of his 15-year drug conviction remaining when
the Jatinegara Police found several grams of shabu-shabu (crystal
methamphetamine) in his cell at Cipinang Penitentiary, East
Jakarta, during a regular search last week.

Ibra denied that the drugs belonged to him, the Jakarta Police
revealed on Friday, but a urine test by the National Narcotics
Agency (BNN) came back positive.

According to Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani, Ibra
may have to spend longer in prison for the infraction.

"He will get at least five more years. The additional years
will automatically be added to his 15-year jail term. We are
preparing the case file to be submitted to prosecutors," he said.

Firman said that Ibra would remain at the penitentiary and
that police officers would visit to interrogate him.

He said his officers were questioning other people who were in
the cell with Ibra when the search was conducted.

"We are also investigating the syndicate that supplies drugs
in the prison," he added.

Police arrested Ibra in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, on Aug.
31, 2000, and found over nine grams of putaw (low-grade heroin)
in his possession.

He was originally sentenced as a drug dealer to 15 years in
prison by the South Jakarta Court on Oct. 15, 2003.

The case accentuates the fact that even prison bars cannot
stop drug trafficking. Several other prisoners have been caught
with drugs in earlier cell searches.

Also last week, police caught a convicted drug dealer,
identified as Daeng Mansyur Amade, with two grams of heroin
inside his cell in Cipinang Penitentiary.

Last year, police discovered a drug syndicate, led by a
convict identified as Rahman, inside the penitentiary after
police arrested several of Rahman's men handling transactions
outside.

The biggest prison drug trafficking case broke in June 2003,
when the police found that two African nationals -- Nwaolisa
Hansen Anthony and George Obinya -- controlled an international
drug network worth around Rp 800 million per month from inside
Cipinang Penitentiary.

However, no firm action has been taken by law enforcers to
stop drug trafficking in the prison, which is under the
jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.