Police arrest three alleged Ecstasy dealers
Police arrest three alleged Ecstasy dealers
JAKARTA (JP): Police arrested three alleged members of a drug-
dealing ring early on Saturday and confiscated 2,867 Ecstasy
pills, 150 grams of amphetamine-derivative shabu-shabu, two drug
processing machines and Rp 390 million (US$35,454) in cash.
City police detectives chief Col. Gories Mere, who led the
raid, identified the suspects as Agung Siswanto alias Aliong, 42;
Lee Men Cung alias Erwin, 40, and Santoso alias Asen, 24.
They were arrested separately between Friday night and early
Saturday morning, he told reporters on Saturday.
"We have searched for the suspects for a month after we
received information from the public about the suspects'
activities," Gories said.
He said Aliong was arrested at about 9 p.m. as he attempted to
deliver 1,660 Ecstasy pills to a house on Jl. Raden Saleh,
Central Jakarta.
Aliong told police that he obtained the pills from his boss
Erwin, who was later arrested at Hotel Emerald on Jl. Kebon
Jeruk, West Jakarta, he said.
Under police interrogation, Erwin admitted to running a drug
processing center on Jl. Teluk Gong Raya, Penjaringan, North
Jakarta, he said.
The police narcotics team went to the location, and found
1,205 Ecstasy pills and other drug substances, Ecstasy powder,
580 Lexotan pills and 44 packages of Diasepam, as well as the
drug processing machines.
Police also arrested Asen, one of the factory workers, at
about 2:30 a.m. and confiscated the Rp 390 million.
The suspects will be charged under Article 59 of the Law No.
5/1997 on psychotropic drugs, he said.
The article carries maximum punishment of 15 years in jail and
a fine of between Rp 150 million and Rp 750 million.
Meanwhile, Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman
said the pills seized on Saturday were destined mainly for local
customers.
"There is no indication that the pills were for export,"
Noegroho said.
At the end of August, the city police arrested three other
drug dealers at a house used for manufacturing Ecstasy pills on
Jl. Teri also in Teluk Gong, North Jakarta.
Police confiscated 10,839 psychotropic pills, including 6,139
Ecstasy pills and 3,700 Rophinol pills.
Police also confiscated about five kilograms of drug powder
used as a basic material to manufacture the pills, along with
four drug reproduction machines, one mixer, 38 stamp machines and
44 brand devices to pack and mark the drugs. (jun)