Ecstasy king in death row opens business from jail
Ecstasy king in death row opens business from jail
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Banten
Capital punishment and the impenetrable walls of Tangerang
Penitentiary apparently has little effect on the entrepreneurial
spirit of Ang Kiem Soei, a Dutch citizen who was sentenced to
death by the Tangerang District Court in January for drug
trafficking.
A few days after he was convicted by the court, the 51-year-
old man who was born in Fak Fak, Irian Jaya, proposed a business
plan to prison warden Didin Sudirman.
Soon, there were many rumors in the air about Ang Kiem Soei --
alias Ance Tahir, alias Kim Hoo, alias Tommy Wijaya -- who was
convicted for producing millions of ecstasy pills between 1999
and 2001 in his two laboratories in the Cipondoh and Karawaci
districts of Tangerang municipality.
Some said that Ang Kiem could still control his drug
trafficking business from behind bars; others said that he
frequently left prison to follow up his illicit business.
When The Jakarta Post conducted an investigation at the
penitentiary last week, several inmates confirmed that Ang Kiem
sold medicinal herbs, known locally as jamu patah tulang and used
to cure broken bones, in the prison.
"Everything is possible for a man like Ang Kiem. He has a lot
of money," said Iwong, 29, one of more than 1,100 inmates at
Tangerang Penitentiary.
He said that Ang Kiem began the herb business last month. "If
you need the medicinal herbs, just ask him. He will give you
some," he added.
He said that although Ang Kiem was a newcomer in the prison,
he was already popular among many inmates. In addition to his
skill in making ecstasy pills, Ang Kiem was also known for his
ability to make medicinal herbs.
Warden Didin Sudirman, who did not allow the Post to see Ang
Kiem, confirmed that the convict had proposed a plan on the herb
business.
"It is true. Ang Kiem plans to produce jamu patah tulang in
this prison. He had conducted a series of trials, but he failed,
and we will rediscuss the plan soon," Didin said.
He said that on Jan. 27, he held a meeting with Ang Kiem Soei
and Ali, a former inmate who would help supply raw materials for
the production and market the products.
"But the discussion has resulted in nothing so far. We will
involve several related institutions in the next discussion,
since producing medicinal herbs in prison is not an easy task,"
he added.
The warden said that if the plan materialized, the inmates
would be employed in the production process and thus, the
penitentiary should invite trainers to teach inmates how to
produce the medicinal herbs.
"We will also have to prepare a space in this prison for
production activities," he said, adding that the penitentiary had
already planted seeds for the necessary herbs.
Meanwhile, Kimung, another inmate, said it would be good if
Ang Kiem Soei produced medicinal herbs in the prison.
"That activity will add to the variety of inmate activities
available in this prison, and we can work and make some money,"
he said.
This would not be the first business to be run by inmates. In
Cipinang Penitentiary of East Jakarta, the prisoners run a
chicken farm and supply the poultry to KFC outlets.
The farm was established by Ricardo Gelael, a business partner
of former president Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo "Tommy"
Mandala Putra, who were both sentenced in 2000 to 18 months
imprisonment each for graft.