'Evidence usually resold by police'

'Evidence usually resold by police'

The antidrug campaign seems to be getting more intensive support
from the police as drug abuse problems become more serious. There
are now an estimated four million drug addicts nationwide and
some Rp 800 billion is spent daily just on drugs. The Jakarta
Post talked to several city residents about the issue and their
response to the police attempts.

Syifa, 21, is a student at a private university in South
Jakarta, majoring in tourism. She lives in Tebet, South Jakarta,
with her family:

I reckon that in my campus, there used to be a lot of drug
users and traffickers who operated freely. They carried out their
transactions openly.

I wonder why there are only a few of them left now in my
campus. They probably operate less openly these days because I
rarely see them around the campus.

I used to take drugs too, but was not addicted to them -- no
way! But honestly, many of my relatives still take drugs. One
even died from an overdose.

I guess the alarming drug problems are getting more acute
here. We have to be careful when socializing with friends --
choosing the wrong people might put you in trouble for good.

I agree with the intensive crackdown by the police. I just
hope it's genuine. At least the police seem to be intent on
fighting drug dealers and abusers.

But I don't agree that traffickers should be sentenced to
death. It's better to give them a maximum jail term. Matters of
life and death are in God's hands, right?

Ale (not his real name), 29, works for a private company in
West Jakarta. He lives in Srengseng, West Jakarta, with his wife
and son:

I'm not sure an intensive crackdown on drug problems will
succeed because the confiscated evidence is usually resold by the
police.

I have a friend whose father was a high-ranking police officer
and he used to be a drug addict. I used to ask him (the friend)
for marijuana for myself.

He gave me a big box of marijuana and frankly told me it was
confiscated crime evidence. Based on this, I think it's quite
normal for me to doubt police commitment to combat the alarming
drug problem, particularly in Jakarta.

I used to be addicted to marijuana, too. From the time that I
was in senior high school until university I used a lot of
marijuana. I used it a lot when preparing for final exams. I
liked using it because I was able to pass several tests with B
grades.

But that was all about three years ago. Now I've quit drugs.
Thank God I never used any other drugs but marijuana.

Tri (not his real name), 56, is retired from the Navy and
lives at Patal Senayan, Central Jakarta, with his wife and five
children:

I think drug problems have been so alarming that all elements
of society should work hand in hand with the police to combat
them.

Unfortunately, law enforcers disappoint many times the people
who hope for justice. We can see how law enforcers are involved
in unscrupulous deals to release drug dealers from detention or
prison.

I reckon that many drug transactions go on around here. I
wouldn't deny either that there must be some addicts here too.

Every day I see plainclothes policemen hanging around here
monitoring their targets. I know them from the way they behave.
But all this is to no avail without serious measures and a good
attitude from them.

I once drove them away from here because I was sick of seeing
corrupt police who received bribes from such unlawful business.

But after that, I tried to approach abusers and traffickers to
warn them not to operate here. Up until now, the personal
approach has worked better than an oppressive one.

I'm not saying that there are no more drug abusers here, but,
at least, it seems to have worked. Traffickers no longer operate
near here. I also try to persuade abusers to kick such a bad
habit.

-- Leo Wahyudi S