Former minister's daughter nabbed for drugs

Leony Aurora Jakarta

Jakarta Police have arrested the daughter of former Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas for alleged possession of illicit drugs.

An investigator from the city police narcotics division, who requested anonymity, said on Friday that the police intended to raid a boarding house belonging to a person named Stephen, who had previously been targeted for alleged drug dealing.

When the operation took place on Thursday evening in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, the police found Fauziah, also known as Caca, 35, at Stephen's place.

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara confirmed that Fauziah was Ali Alatas' daughter.

The police discovered 0.5 grams of shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) and two marijuana cigarettes in her key holder.

They also seized five grams of shabu-shabu and five grams of marijuana in Stephen's name card box.

Both Fauziah and Stephen were taken to the city police headquarters for questioning and are currently being detained there.

Fauziah, a mother of two, is not the first relative of prominent figures in the country to be arrested for such an offense. In August 1999, Second Lt. Agus Isrok, the eldest son of former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo, was arrested for dealing drugs in Jakarta.

Agus, who was a member of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) at the time of his arrest, had been caught in possession of 27.9 grams of heroin, 1.6 kilograms shabu-shabu, 6,218 ecstasy pills and 25 containers of valium.

The Jakarta Military Court found Agus guilty and sentenced him to four years in prison and a fine of Rp 10 million (US$1,065). The sentence was later reduced by the Jakarta Military High Court to two years. The High Court also reinstated him as an Army officer.

In October 2000, former president Soeharto's ex-granddaughter- in-law Gusti Maya Firanti Noor, 29, was sentenced to eight months in prison and fined Rp 15 million (US$1,720) for possessing a small amount of shabu-shabu.