Drug suspect swallows evidence

Evi Mariani, Jakarta

A drug suspect, Ariandino Reiza Pratama, 27, died on Thursday in unusual circumstances when being questioned by narcotics detectives at the South Jakarta Police precinct.

Police said Reiza died during questioning after he swallowed a white powder that was thought to be heroin. They said Reiza had hidden the heroin in his pants.

However, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Prasetyo said on Thursday there had been no testing done to determine if the white powder was heroin.

Asked why the detectives did not search the suspect first before interrogating him, Prasetyo said: "Maybe the suspect's pants had hidden pockets the detectives did not search."

Police arrested Reiza on Wednesday at about 10 p.m. at a house in Cinere, South Jakarta, based on information from another drug suspect. They found 2.8 grams heroin in his possession.

Reiza was later brought to the South Jakarta Police precinct for questioning. Police said Reiza was nervous during the questioning and suddenly took something from his pants and swallowed it in front of the detectives.

Prasetyo said the detectives tried to snatch the substance from Reiza but were unsuccessful. Police immediately took Reiza to the Pertamina Hospital in South Jakarta but Reiza died en route, he said. His body was later sent to the Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital's morgue.

At his house, Reiza's father, Subandi, said he had never suspected his son was a drug addict.

"He worked at (state-owned) Bank Mandiri for the past year. Previously, he worked for six months in Citibank." The police could have arrested the wrong suspect because his son was a good employee, he said.

Subandi said he had examined Reiza's body and found bruises on Reiza's neck and cigarette burns on parts of his body. However, he would not let the hospital coroner perform an autopsy on his son.

While he had many unanswered questions about the cause of his son's death, he wanted his family to be in peace, Subandi said.