Police arrest prescription drug dealers operating behind coffee shop front in Cengkareng

Jakarta - Police have arrested three suspects for distributing dangerous prescription drugs (G-list) using a coffee shop as a front in Cengkareng, West Jakarta.

Cengkareng Police Chief AKP Rahis Fadhillah stated the case was uncovered on Saturday (27/6) after police received a public report about suspicious drug transactions at a coffee shop on Jalan Nirmala, Cengkareng.

“We have detained three suspects. One is a minor, a child in conflict with the law, and two are adults,” Rahis told reporters in Jakarta on Monday.

The adult suspects have the initials MZ and FH, while the minor is identified as FA.

Rahis explained that after receiving the tip, officers immediately visited the coffee shop and found the three suspects selling the drugs.

“During the search, we found hard drugs from the G-list and psychotropics of various brands on the shop’s table. In total, we seized 12,234 pills of G-list drugs and psychotropics,” Rahis said.

The suspects admitted to selling the prescription drugs without a doctor’s prescription. One of the drugs being sold was Tramadol.

“They are also not pharmacists and do not have special expertise in health or pharmaceuticals, nor the authority to sell G-list drugs and psychotropics,” he added.

Separately, Cengkareng Police Criminal Investigation Unit Head AKP Parman Gultom said the suspects confessed to obtaining the drugs from an individual in Tangerang.

“They admitted getting them from someone in the Tangerang area. They bought the drugs and then resold them,” Gultom said.

Police are currently investigating the supplier of the illegal prescription drugs to the suspects.

For their actions, the three suspects are charged under Article 435 in conjunction with Article 138 paragraph (2) or Article 436 paragraph (2) of Law Number 17 of 2023 on Health, in conjunction with Article 60 paragraph (1) letter b and/or Article 62 of Law Number 5 of 1997 on Psychotropics, in conjunction with Article 20 letter (c) of Law Number 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code.