Masseur nabbed for selling marijuana

JAKARTA (JP): Central Jakarta police on Thursday morning arrested a 22-year-old masseur red-handed for selling 3.5 kilograms of dried marijuana to an undercover detective.

Mukhlis Hasyim was handcuffed after handing over the marijuana, worth Rp 12 million (US$1,075) on the open market here, to the detective, who pretended to be a customer.

Police later confiscated another kilogram of marijuana at his rented house on Jl. Kebantenan in Semper Timur, East Jakarta, the head of Jakarta Police narcotics unit, Lt. Col. Abdullah H.S., said.

"The suspect admitted that he often offered the drug to his many customers," Abdullah said.

Police, he said, had watched the suspect for several days following a tip-off.

A police detective was then assigned to call Mukhlis for a massage at the place on Jl. Kramat Raya where the masseur-turn- drug dealer was later nabbed, Abdullah said. (jun)