Drugs, fake money set on fire

TANGERANG: Tangerang prosecutors destroyed on Wednesday confiscated illicit drugs and counterfeit money used as evidence against defendants tried at Tangerang District Court over the past year.

The evidence, which was set on fire within the Science and Technology Center complex in Serpong, had been seized from 97 drug cases and one counterfeit money case.

The chief of the special crimes section at the prosecutor's office, Ferry Silalahi, told The Jakarta Post that the collection comprised 41 kilograms of shabu-shabu (crystal metamphetamine), 163 ecstasy pills, more than 140,000 barbiturates and other pills, 18 grams of putauw (low-grade heroin), 68.5 km of marijuana, 510 fake Rp 50,000 bills, 235 fake Rp 20,000 bills and 1,192 fake Rp 10,000 bills.

The burning was witnessed by Tangerang Mayor M. Thamrin, who had ordered urine tests for his staff members recently. The tests are planned to be conducted regularly every week on randomly selected days.

The mayor's move was also followed by the prosecutor's office and the district court, which also ordered urine tests for their staff members last week.--JP