Police arrest foreigner, seven locals in drug raid

JAKARTA (JP): Police arrested a Nigerian for drug possession in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, along with seven local residents during a four-day drug crackdown, an official said on Saturday.

Chief of Jakarta Police detectives Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo said the foreigner, who he identified as Godfrey, 31, was arrested at his rented house on Jl. Tanah Abang I on Thursday for alleged possession of 20 grams of heroin.

"He told the police that he bought the drug for Rp 2.2 million from an Indian in a fast food restaurant on Jl. Thamrin," Alex said. He said Godfrey denied he was a drug dealer.

Nigerian Ambassador Mohammed Fuadi told The Jakarta Post that he could yet confirm whether Godfrey was a Nigerian as the embassy was closed on Saturday.

"My staff will only be in on Tuesday. But we'll send our staff to verify Godfrey's identity at the Jakarta Police Headquarters," Fuadi said.

On Friday, the police also nabbed a 32-year-old housewife, identified as Hadijah, at her house in Tanah Abang for alleged heroin dealing. The police also seized 13 grams of heroin which was hidden in a drawer.

The other suspects are Gaston Iksan, Rachmat and Andy Rinaldi who were arrested separately during police operations on Saturday in two rooms at a hotel in Central Jakarta.

"We confiscated 370 grams of shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) from Gaston, a package of dried marijuana leaves from Rachmat and two packages of heroin from Rinaldi," Alex said.

He added that Gaston and Rachmat were arrested in the same room and Rinaldi in another room.

Alex said officers arrested three jobless people in two separate raids on Wednesday.

David Martinus, 19, and Rachmat Buchari, 21, were arrested while using heroin in a house on Jl. Garuda Raya, Kemayoran district, in Central Jakarta.

"David told us that he worked as an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver and collected money with his friends to buy heroin which they consumed together," Alex said.

The police seized a package of heroin from another suspect, Herlambang, 26, an alleged drug trafficker who was nabbed on Jl. Semangka in West Jakarta on Wednesday. Herlambang sold each package of heroin for Rp 260,000. (06)