Police deny Singapore's claim of capturing alleged local dealer
Police deny Singapore's claim of capturing alleged local dealer
JAKARTA (JP): Police have denied a report published in a Singapore newspaper that a suspected drug supplier, apprehended in Bali last month, had been arrested by Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau in a major drug sweep late last month.
"The report doesn't make sense to us," National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. IK Ratta said on Tuesday. "How could we release a suspect involved in such a serious drug related case?"
Ratta said he had already spoken with the suspect who is still under police detention in Bali.
In its Sunday edition of April 2, The Straits Times quoted the local CNB deputy director Masbollah Fazal as saying that the arrested suspect, believed to be the main drug supplier at a discotheque raided recently, was the same person who was arrested by Indonesian police in Bali on March 11.
Masbollah said, the drug supplier, a 34-year-old unemployed man, was arrested in his flat on March 31, only hours after a drug raid at Zouk Discotheque.
Although no drugs were found at the discotheque, the CNB said there were strong indications that drugs such as ecstasy pills and cocaine were sold and consumed by some of the staff and patrons of the entertainment center.
Ratta said, the suspected drug supplier arrested on March 11 in Bali was identified as Eddy Kusianto, the owner of Ibiz restaurant on Jl. Raya Kuta.
He said the police seized about 300 grams of hashish, 100 grams of cocaine, 330 grams of marijuana, 37 ecstasy pills and seven grams of white powder (believed to be heroin) which he was in possession of.
Speaking over the telephone with Eddy while reporters were listening, Eddy told Ratta that he was also surprised at the reports of his arrest in Singapore.
He admitted that he has a friend in Singapore named Aziz Saleh, who also owns a restaurant in Singapore and Tokyo, Japan.
"But he has nothing to do with drug dealing," Eddy said.
According to the head of the Nusa Tenggara Crime Investigation Directorate Col. Togar Sianipar, local police are still completing the dossiers on Eddy. (bsr)