Police seize pistol and 'shabu-shabu'

JAKARTA (JP): Police apprehended two alleged members of a narcotics syndicate and seized a Colt pistol and 42 grams of shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) from their rented house in Kebon Bawang subdistrict, North Jakarta, an officer said on Saturday.

According to Tanjung Priok Police chief Capt. Budi Siswanto, the two -- Slamet Riyadi, alias Yadi, alias Telly, 34, and Valentino, 28, were arrested on late Thursday.

"We had Slamet under surveillance for almost 20 days. When our undercover officers eventually made contact with him and arranged for a transaction, we decided to arrest him before the transaction went through," Budi said.

However, he said another suspect managed to escape and was still at large.

"This man is Slamet's boss who supplied him with the drugs. He most likely already left the city," Budi said, refusing to disclose the man's name.

Along with the arrests, police seized Rp 2.75 million (US$390) in cash, bags of marijuana, rolls of aluminum foil, dozens of empty perfume bottles used to inhale drugs, hundreds of plastic bags of various sizes and four ecstasy pills.

The shabu-shabu was estimated to have a street value of at least Rp 8 million. The drug is sold for Rp 210,000 per gram.

However, some drugs were removed from Slamet's other homes by his accomplices before the police could seize them, according to the officer.

Budi said undercover police arranged to buy drugs from Slamet. The officers were told by Slamet to wait outside his house and follow him in his car to a quiet place near the Tanjung Priok harbor, where they were to make the transaction.

Slamet, the father of a six-month-old daughter, was arrested by plainclothes officers immediately after leaving his garage.

Budi said Slamet was smart enough to keep his drugs in separate locations and would only take orders over the phone.

The police searched three different houses -- the rented house where Slamet was arrested, his wife's house and his parents' house -- in North Jakarta looking for evidence.

Budi described Slamet as an important figure in the syndicate, saying only high-ranking syndicate members carried guns.

"That shows his status and how big his influence was in the syndicate," he said.

Valentino is allegedly a drug courier for Slamet.

The two are currently being questioned, as the police attempt to build a case against the head of the syndicate. (emf)