Police arrest student for alleged drug deal
JAKARTA (JP): Police have arrested a tourist academy student for allegedly consuming and trafficking Ecstasy and the amphetamine-derivative shabu-shabu, an officer said yesterday.
The suspect, identified as Jimmy Tjung Sendjaja, 28, was caught at Hotel Permata on Jl. Suhardjo Wiryopranoto, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday after being under surveillance for about three months, the officer who asked for anonymity said.
He was detained with 251 Ecstasy pills and 30 grams of shabu- shabu.
"An undercover police officer pretending to be a singer at the hotel trapped the suspect and caught him in the act of trying to sell Ecstasy pills to a plainclothes officer," he said.
Jimmy told police he obtained the drugs from his father, identified only as JT.
The police checked Jimmy's allegations with his father, who claimed the story was untrue.
"I have quit the drugs and narcotics business for a long time. Whatever Jimmy did, it is his own responsibility," JT reportedly told the police.
The police officer said the drugs were concealed on Jimmy's person and in an empty insecticide can.
"When we arrested Jimmy at about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, we only found five Ecstasy pills in his pocket. But later we searched an insecticide can near his seat and found a pack of Ecstasy pills and two packs of shabu-shabu."
Jimmy is also suspected of trafficking drugs at several prominent private universities in Jakarta, he said.
"The police have monitored the drug-trafficking activities at several campuses in Jakarta for about three years now," he said.
Jimmy is currently detained by the City Police for further investigation.
Earlier this month city police arrested three alleged drug traffickers who operated in the vicinity of the Citraland shopping mall and Grogol in West Jakarta. They are identified as Muhammad Nasir alias Matoy, 43, Maman Isak alias Mongi, 43 and Basuki bin Salimin alias Uki, 39, who was shot in his left leg for resisting arrest.
One of the suspects, Matoy, admitted to dealing drugs near Trisakti private university, West Jakarta, for about four years.
During the first three months of this year, the Jakarta Police narcotics unit has reportedly arrested at least 30 suspected drug users, traffickers or suppliers and shot dead three others during raids.
Thirty kilograms of marijuana, four cannabis saplings, 50 grams of low grade heroin called putauw , 5.5 kilograms of shabu- shabu, 780 grams of cocaine and hundreds of Ecstasy pills have reportedly been confiscated during the same period.
All suspects in drug abuse cases are charged under the Psychotropics Law No.5/1997, which carries a minimal sentence of five years in prison and Rp 50 million fine. (edt)