One shot dead, three arrested in drug raid

JAKARTA (JP): An alleged drug dealer was shot dead, his accomplice was wounded and two others arrested during a raid in Petamburan district, in Central Jakarta, police said yesterday.

City police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said Evi Shahrir, 28, was shot in the left thigh and died from severe bleeding.

"Evi and Arifin Ahmad, 20, were shot when they tried to attack the officers with scissors and a samurai sword respectively during the raid Tuesday night."

Arifin was shot in the leg and he is undergoing treatment at Kramat Jati Police Hospital in East Jakarta.

Aritonang said Evi, Arifin and the two arrested suspects -- Ahmad Rizal, 20, and Hengki Sanusi, 20 -- were in the process of packaging dried marijuana leaves and seeds on the terrace of a library on Jl. Petamburan 6 when police raided the premises.

"About 13 packets of marijuana leaves and a packet of seeds were confiscated as evidence."

He said the four were believed to have been involved in the drug business for almost a year as sellers and sometimes as suppliers.

The confiscated marijuana was to be delivered to other vendors or picked up by customers, he said.

"We're still tracing their network. They must have got the marijuana from somebody else."

Aritonang said Aridin, Ahmad and Hengki would face a maximum penalty of life in jail or a 12-year prison term and fines of Rp 1 billion for violating Article 82 of the 1997 Narcotics Law No. 22 on the distribution and trade of marijuana.

But Evi's cousin, Tarmidah, defended Evi yesterday saying he was not a drug dealer but a noodle vendor.

Tarmidah said Evi, the father of two children, owned a small noodle stall near his house in Petamburan and was dedicated to providing for his family.

She had been told police gunned down Evi but said she did not know what had really happened.

"Who else can have a gun and shoot people like that."

Evi's body was taken to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta for a postmortem examination and his body is to be buried today. (cst/emf)