Granddaughter-in-law of Soeharto nabbed for drug

JAKARTA (JP): West Jakarta Police detectives recorded another remarkable success on Thursday with the arrest of a woman, who was later identified as a grand daughter-in-law of former president Soeharto.

West Jakarta Police chief Col. Adjie Rustam Ramdja on Saturday identified the 25-year-old woman as Gusti Maya Firanti Noor, the wife of Soeharto's grandson Ari Sigit.

He said that the woman, also known as Maya Ari Sigit, was arrested with around 2.5 grams of shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) at the Olympia Hotel situated at the popular entertainment complex of Lokasari in West Jakarta. The arrest occurred following a report by a security guard who said that Maya had asked him to buy a prepaid cellular phone voucher for her using a counterfeit Rp 50,000 bank note.

Based on the report, the local police then examined the woman and "found 1.5 grams of shabu-shabu in her hand bag and another gram under her car seat," Adjie told reporters.

His men also confiscated paraphernalia used to prepare the drug, he added.

According to Adjie, the detectives assigned to probe the case were focusing on the drugs since his officers found no more counterfeited bank notes in Maya's possession.

He quoted the unidentified security guard of the Olympia hotel as saying that Maya, waiting in her luxurious Mercedes Benz New Eyes, ordered the guard to purchase the voucher at a nearby shop by giving him two Rp 50,000 bank notes.

"The seller noticed that one of the bills was fake," Adjie said.

The security guard and the voucher seller immediately reported her to a police officer, who was standing near the hotel, he explained.

West Jakarta deputy police detectives chief Capt. Asrofi, who arrived several minutes later at the scene, recalled that the 1.5 gram drugs were kept by Maya in a small plastic bag and placed inside a recital book, containing, among others, Yaasin (a verse in the Koran), all found in her hand bag.

During questioning, Adjie said, Maya admitted to have used the shabu-shabu earlier in room number 303 at the hotel with three other men.

"She said that she regularly buys shabu-shabu from one of the men," Adjie said but refused to tell names.

When police checked the room, Adjie said that the three men had already left.

Adjie said that Maya's husband and mother visited the suspect, who has been detained at the West Jakarta police headquarters, a day after she was arrested.

The officer vowed that his office would go on with their investigation and carry out the legal processes regardless Maya's status as a member of former president Soeharto's family.

"It is not the first time for us to handle this kind of case," Adjie said.

Last year, West Jakarta police detectives arrested Second Lt. Agus Isrok, the oldest son of former Army chief Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo, in a hotel room on Aug. 8 for drug possession.

Agus was sentenced to four years in jail by the West Jakarta District Court on Thursday and has been discharged from the army.

The police actually have a complete list of drug related suspects, who are all family members of important figures in the country.

Only after the resignation of Soeharto in May 1998 have police officers started to have the guts to arrest and name these suspects. (08)