Drugs destroyed in Medan, Surabaya

SURABAYA: East Java Police and their North Sumatra colleagues destroyed on Wednesday thousands bottles of alcohol, marijuana and sedative pills confiscated during past raids.

East Java Police chief Maj. Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said the contraband was destroyed following court verdicts on the related cases.

He said that the local police and military officers implicated in the crimes would stand trial at military tribunals.

Among the contraband were 10,600 bottles of various kinds of liquor, 3.1 kilograms of marijuana, four marijuana plants, 16,791 nipam pills and some 2,000 rohypnol pills.

In Medan, North Sumatra, the provincial police destroyed a total of 2.5 tons of marijuana worth Rp 1.2 billion, along with over 25,000 Ecstasy and Rophinol pills and several drug inhaling pipes.

The drugs were seized in 81 raids between January and March this year, according to North Sumatra Police chief Brig. Gen. Sutanto.

No less than 93 suspects were arrested during the raids, Sutanto said.

"We're also seeking evidence of the alleged involvement of Aceh separatist rebels," he added.

Aceh is home to large scale marijuana fields which some believe are linked to the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist movement. (01/39/edt//nur)