Police destroy Rp 20b of drugs, seize more ganja

JAKARTA (JP): The National Police burned on Wednesday 21 kgs of pure heroin, four kgs of cocaine, some 550 kgs of marijuana and 75 kgs of shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine).

Chief Lt. Gen. Rusdihardjo said the drugs, worth some Rp 20 billion (US$2.6 million), had been confiscated during different raids across the country since early last year.

"We'll keep on fighting the war against drugs," said Rusdihardjo, who took part in the ceremony of destroying the narcotics at a field in front of the National Police Headquarters in South Jakarta.

The event was preceded with the presentation of two Timor sedans by the U.S. Embassy to the narcotics division of the National Police detectives, which took place at the National Police Headquarters.

The sedans were presented by Regional Security Officer Mark J. Hunter of the U.S. Embassy to National Police chief of detectives Maj. Gen. Chaeruddin Ismail.

"We truly appreciate this contribution, and also the help we have received from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)," Chaeruddin said.

Separately, the Jakarta Police announced on Wednesday the seizure of 230.3 kgs of marijuana from 16 suspected drug dealers, including three females, at different locations during two separate raids over the past two days.

City police chief of detectives Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo identified the main suspect as Safrizal bin Abdullah, 25, a trader residing on Jl. Swadaya in South Jakarta.

"Safrizal was caught dealing drugs with five of his friends in the parking lot of the Harapan Bunda Hospital in Pasar Rebo, East Jakarta," Alex told reporters.

The arrest was made following a tip the police received on March 6 from some residents in the area about a planned drug transaction which was to happen a week later in the hospital parking lot.

The police arrested the first six suspects at 9 a.m. on Monday, and seized several kilograms of marijuana from their Toyota Kijang van.

Two of the suspects were shot in the leg when they attempted to escape.

Police then arrested four other alleged drug dealers on Jl. H. Sirun in the nearby Ceger area, and seized two kgs of marijuana.

Officers apprehended three more suspects with 90 kilograms of marijuana also on the same day in the Gunung Putri area of Bogor.

Based on information from the last three suspects, police then arrested another three alleged gang members with 133.8 kgs of marijuana on Jl. Taman Buaran III in Duren Sawit, also in East Jakarta. (ylt)