Police complete 330 dossiers on drug suspects

JAKARTA (JP): City Police completed at least 333 dossiers of suspects involved in drug cases in the period between January and early September this year, spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said yesterday.

The dossiers have been handed over to the Prosecutor's Office by the City Police Headquarters, the East, West, South, North and Central Jakarta police precincts, as well as the Depok and Tangerang police precincts, he said.

Out of the 333 dossiers, approximately 253 relate to suspects involved in narcotics. "The remaining 80 dossiers are on suspects involved in psychotropic drugs ranging from expensive drugs like Ecstasy to cheap drugs like Nipam and Rohypnol," Aritonang said.

Aritonang said the number of dossiers proved that the police were serious in handling the drug problem.

"The police are not only raiding night spots and drug abusers but also taking the cases and suspects to court" he said.

Aritonang, however, declined to give the total number of drug cases or suspects handled by the police during that period.

He just said suspects involved in narcotics, most of which were marijuana, heroin and third-grade heroin locally called putauw, were accused of violating the 1976 Narcotics Law Number 9 on either using, dealing and/or producing narcotics.

"If found guilty, they will face a maximum penalty of death or 20 years imprisonment and a Rp 15 million (US$5,000) fine as well," he said.

The suspects who were involved in psychotropic drugs were accused of violating the 1997 Psychotropic Law Number 5 on either using, possessing, dealing and/or producing the drugs, he said.

"If found guilty, they will face from four years to life time imprisonment or the death penalty, and between Rp 20 million and Rp 750 million in fine as well," Aritonang said.

Data shows that the police have confiscated at least 715,980 grams of marijuana, 315,785 grams of heroin, 320 grams of morphine and 2,000 Ecstasy pills during the first three months of this year alone.

The data also showed that the police have so far confiscated at least 5 million of the barbiturate-type Nipam pills and arrested two of several alleged masterminds behind the production and sale of Nipam in Java.

He said that the evidence was confiscated both during routine raids on night spots and in arrests on drug dealers and users.

Aritonang said that the confiscated evidence could be destroyed either by the police or the Prosecutor's Office.

The police often have to destroy evidence before a case is tried, he said. "We can't keep smuggled garlic for too long because the smell is very bad. Sometimes we can't keep the evidence due to the high cost of storage."

"The police must obtain permission from the Prosecutor's Office if they destroy the evidence," Aritonang said. (cst)