Foreigner caught with handgun and bullets

JAKARTA (JP): West Jakarta police detectives confiscated a Colt handgun, 54 bullets and Rp 287 million (US$35,875) in three different currencies from the contracted residence of a suspected Nepalese drug dealer.

The raid at the house in Bekasi's Taman Galaxi housing complex took place on Thursday morning, West Jakarta police chief Lt. Col. Adjie Rustam Ramdja said.

The officer identified the Nepalese national as 25-year-old Man Singh Ghale.

Adjie said police barged into his house at about 3 a.m. on Thursday and found out that he was a suspected drug dealer.

"We found everything that pointed out that he was a drug dealer, except for the drugs themselves," Adjie said.

Police found Rp 184 million, US$13,046 and Aus$300 in the master bedroom.

"We also found a Colt handgun, 54 bullets of .22 millimeter caliber -- no official firearm permit was found -- a set of weighing scales (for drugs), several untouched plastic packets (for drugs), two cellphones, two wristwatches and gold bracelets," he said.

"We are quite sure that he's a drug dealer. He just hasn't opened his mouth as yet." he added.

Adjie said he had reached this conclusion as a result of an earlier arrest of two Indonesian men who were caught on Jl. Gerindo No. 32, in Tambora, West Jakarta, smoking shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) at about 10 p.m. on Wednesday.

"They told us that they had been getting their drugs from Man Singh for the past year. Whenever they needed 50 grams, or 100 grams or 200 grams of any kind of drug, they went to Man Singh," Adjie said.

"We are now searching for Man Singh's mistress who is a beautiful Indonesian woman. She is said to have also been intensely involved in the drug business."

In a related development, city police detectives confiscated 150 grams of pure shabu-shabu, 170 ecstasy tablets, a blender and a tablet press among other things from three men on Jl. Taman Sari VIII, West Jakarta, early on Thursday morning.

Chief of detectives Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo said 26-year- old Irwan, 28-year-old Gunawan and 24-year-old Adi Abubakar were all caught in a one-day raid, thanks to the information provided by Taman Sari residents. (ylt)