Life sentences sought for drug suspects

Life sentences sought for drug suspects

Theresia Sufa/Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Bogor/Jakarta

Prosecutors at the Cibinong Court in Bogor demanded on Thursday
life sentences for two drug defendants -- Bangkit Satrio alias
Bangkit and Bertje Albert John Bessie alias Boy -- for producing
and selling ecstasy pills.

Chief prosecutor Yudarisman told the court they had found
sufficient evidence to show Bangkit and Boy were members of an
international drug syndicate.

He said that from October 2000 until April 2001, Bangkit and
Boy had helped their bosses, identified as Philip Widjajanto and
a German citizen known only as "Jo", produce thousands of ecstasy
pills a day in a factory in Jasinga, Bogor.

"They were arrested at the ecstasy pill factory in Jasinga
together with chemical materials and equipment to produce the
pills," Yudarisman said.

Prosecutors also demanded 15 years' jail for two accomplices
identified as Sutaman alias Tomo and Herwanto alias Barjo.

Yudarisman said Tomo and Barjo played insignificant roles in
the production of the ecstasy but had not reported the activity
to authorities.

Bangkit and Boy were arrested during a raid at the Jasinga
factory in 2003. Philip, believed to be the owner of ecstasy pill
factory, was shot dead for refusing to surrender to police while
Jo and several other syndicate members managed to escape.

Philip was believed to be a big-time drug supplier in the
capital, who had transferred his factory from Sunter in North
Jakarta to Jasinga to avoid police detection.

Bangkit, Boy, Tomo and Barjo were charged with Articles 6 and
59 of Law No. 5/1997 on psychotropic drugs and Articles 55 and 56
of the Criminal Code.

The defendants' lawyer, Khaerudin Bakri, said his clients
helped Philip and his syndicate because it had threatened their
families.

"They were forced to obey Philip's orders as they were afraid
that their family would become victims," he said.

Meanwhile, City Police drug squad chief Sr. Comr. Carlo Brix
Tewu said police were still trying to locate the whereabouts of
Jo and several other syndicate members.

"We have information that they are still in Jakarta. They are
back in business after more than two years' rest. We must capture
them as soon a possible as they can produce ecstasy pills on
their own," he told The Jakarta Post.

Police also had information that there were several other
factories, which could produce thousands of ecstasy pills,
operating in Tangerang, Banten, along with Bekasi and Bogor.

Carlo said he had sent detectives to the areas to check the
validity of this information.

Many other ecstasy tablets in the country were still smuggled
in from abroad, he said.