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.