Police seize 11,000 ecstasy pills in two weeks
Police seize 11,000 ecstasy pills in two weeks
Evi Mariani
Jakarta
The Jakarta Police announced on Tuesday they had arrested 13
suspected drug dealers from four syndicates, and seized from them
11,291 ecstasy pills in a two-week operation.
"The evidence is estimated to be valued at Rp 1.5 billion
(US$166,667)," city police drug squad chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Guntur
Setyanto said.
Of the four syndicates, he added, one was supplied from
Malaysia while two others were suspected of being controlled by
inmates at Tangerang Penitentiary.
The police started the string of arrests around two weeks ago
at Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, when they apprehended a suspect,
Erens, and seized 311 ecstasy pills from him.
Erens said he received his supply from Ronald, who was found
in possession of 5,416 ecstasy tablets. When arrested, Ronald
identified a Malaysian, Chen Yu Keng, as his supplier.
Later, police apprehended Chen and his wife, Yuniarsih, at
their house in Kelapa Gading. Yuniarsih was also named a suspect
because the police discovered 50 ecstasy pills in her handbag.
Chen told the police he received the ecstasy from another
Malaysian, identified only as Lo. Chen said he had arranged a
transaction with Lo by sending Rusman Mangunsong to Kuching,
Malaysia, to pick up the pills.
Police subsequently chased after Mangunsong and arrested him
last week in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, and seized 3,890 pills.
Guntur said the suspects claimed the pills came from China.
The police also identified two syndicates controlled from
people behind bars.
Last week, detectives arrested Amen in Sunter, North Jakarta,
for allegedly hiding 153 ecstasy pills and 50 grams of shabu-
shabu (crystal methamphetamine). Amen said he was supplied by
Machel. The latter admitted that he received the pills from
Yohanes, alias Johan.
Police later arrested Yohanes, who said he was only a courier
working for Anen, a convicted drug dealer currently imprisoned at
Tangerang Penitentiary.
Guntur said that, as of Tuesday, the police had yet to obtain
access to Anen for questioning.
Police also arrested two suspects, identified as Sony and
Yongky, respectively at Taman Sari, West Jakarta, and Kayu Manis,
East Jakarta. From them, police seized 160 ecstasy pills and 50
grams of shabu-shabu.
Based on information from Sony and Yongky, the police linked
them with a drug-dealing network inside the penitentiary.
However, it was not clear if the suspects also worked for Anen.
The fourth network -- comprising Sukini, A Sin and A Liong --
was arrested at a disco in Penjaringan, North Jakarta. Police
seized a total of 1,311 ecstasy pills from them.