Hard drugs fuel gang fighters' confidence, says police

Jakarta — The police have identified the circulation of hard drugs such as tramadol and eksimer as one of the factors triggering gang violence perpetrators to have greater confidence and dare commit acts of violence.

“The most dangerous are tramadol and eksimer. Their effect is that people can experience hallucinations and have confidence,” said Head of the South Jakarta Metro Police Narcotics Investigation Unit AKBP Prasetyo Nugroho during a press conference in Jakarta on Sunday.

Prasetyo believes this effect may be one of the causes of the increasing gang violence in South Jakarta, particularly among teenagers.

Prasetyo explained that buyers of hard drugs come from various age groups, from children to adults. “Yes, the buyers vary from children to adults,” he said.

The police have also urged shop owners not to sell hard drugs illegally as it can damage young people.

“I order them not to sell, not to engage in the sale of hard drugs because it will damage the younger generation and will poison the youth who are the successors of the nation,” he said.

He stressed that the police will take firm action against sellers who continue to distribute hard drugs in South Jakarta.

Police seized 28,243 tablets of hard drugs from a convenience store in the Jagakarsa area, South Jakarta, after receiving reports from the public regarding the circulation on Friday (13 March).

Police then conducted an investigation and arrested two suspects who were allegedly store attendants with initials WA and M.

For their actions, the suspects were charged under Article 435 alternatively Article 436 paragraphs (1) and (2) of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 17 of 2023 on Health as amended in Appendix I of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 1 of 2026 on Criminal Code Amendments, as well as Article 62 of Law Number 5 of 1997 on Psychotropic Substances as amended in Appendix I of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 1 of 2026 on Criminal Code Amendments.