Police chief wants death sentence for drug dealers
JAKARTA (JP): City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata said yesterday he wanted courts to give a minimum of life imprisonment, or preferably death sentences, to suspects found guilty in drugs case.
"I wish suspects found guilty in drugs cases could be given the death sentence, or at least life imprisonment, so as to prevent them from being involved in the same cases again," Hamami said.
He said the city police had arrested at least 120 suspects, of whom 89 were involved in narcotics cases and 31 in drugs cases in the period between March and August.
Indonesian law describes narcotics as hard drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, and drugs as psychotropic substances, such as ecstasy, and prescription drugs.
Eleven of the 120 suspects were foreigners and the remaining 109 were locals, Hamami said. Fifty-four have already been tried.
He said the police seized drugs and narcotics worth around Rp 19.7 billion (US$7.3 million) in the same period.
City Police Spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said that the confiscated drugs consisted of around seven kilograms of heroin, excluding the latest seizure of 4.7 kilograms on Thursday, and 50 kilograms of marijuana.
Police also seized more than 13,000 Ecstasy pills, six million barbiturate-type Nipam pills, and 500 ampules of various drugs, Aritonang told The Jakarta Post yesterday.
Other evidence seized included a handgun and three bullets, walkie talkies, several packaging and printing machines, mobile phones, and beepers full of messages on drugs transaction details, Aritonang said.
Yesterday Hamami also clarified the details of the confiscation of the 4.7 kilograms of heroin, worth about Rp 12 billion, in West Jakarta from seven suspects.
"That's the biggest drugs haul this year. A kilogram of heroin is usually sold for around Rp 2.5 billion," Hamami said, adding that Rp 25 million in cash, believed to have been obtained from previous transactions, was also confiscated from the suspects.
A gram of heroin, which has a street value of around Rp 200,000, can be fixed into 20 sachets. Each sachet contains less than a tea spoon of heroin powder.
Foreigners
Hamami said the four foreigners and three Indonesians were arrested in connection with the possession of the 4.7 kilograms of heroin.
"The four foreigners are British, Ugandan, Ghanaian, and Nigerian," Hamami said.
The first person arrested was Hasyriadie, 27, who was rounded up on Tuesday at a house on Jl. Mangga Besar, West Jakarta, for possessing nine grams of heroin and Rp 19 million in transaction money.
On the same day, police also arrested David Bambang Dwitjahjo, 25, at his house on Jl. Raya Tomang, West Jakarta, with 200 grams of heroin and Rp 6 million in his possession.
Police also seized several electronic scales and plastic wraps used for the drug packaging from the two Indonesian citizens.
Based on the information from the two men, the police then arrested Wednesday Briton Michael Roger Earp, Ugandan Nakiwu Mary, and Ghanaian Amanda Aishat, at the Grand Menteng Hotel on Jl. Matraman Raya, East Jakarta.
About 1.5 kilograms of heroin, five mobile phones, passports and US$18 were confiscated from the three foreigners.
The two other suspects, the Nigerian Edosa Aghahowa and his Indonesian wife Tuningsih, were arrested Thursday with three kilograms of heroin at a room in the Pecenongan Hotel on Jl. Pecenongan, Central Jakarta.
Aritonang said that the suspects would be charged under the 1976 Narcotics Law Number 9. "If found guilty, they will face a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment and or a maximum fine of Rp 50 million," Aritonang said.
Hamami also called on the public yesterday to join the police's war against drugs to help minimize problem of drug abuse. (cst)