Police warn of increased drug trafficking

Police warn of increased drug trafficking

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Drug trafficking into the country is now on the rise apparently
due to diminishing stocks here, the head of the city's drug squad
says.

Jakarta Police drug squad chief Sr. Comr. Carlo B. Tewu said
on Wednesday that prices of illicit drugs had soared in the past
few months, one indication of falling stocks.

"We don't know exactly how much drug prices have increased,
but on average they are higher than several months ago. This
shows that drug stocks have fallen significantly as we have
confiscated a huge amount of drugs and arrested many traffickers
in the past several months," Carlo told The Jakarta Post.

According to Carlo, ecstasy pills could now fetch prices of
between Rp 150,000 and Rp 200,000 each, from only Rp 90,000 to Rp
100,000 in early January.

Carlo said regular drug users were also complaining that it
was more difficult to find dealers who could supply them with
narcotics.

Police have made dozens of major drug arrests and
confiscations in the first five months of this year.

On Tuesday, police in the city revealed they had raided an
ecstasy pill factory capable of producing 3,000 pills a day and
arrested an alleged long-time drug dealer, Ayung, 44, in Duri
Kepa, Kembangan, West Jakarta.

Last week, they confiscated 55 kilograms of crystal
methamphetamine (shabu-shabu) and 70,000 ecstasy pills and
arrested two members of an international syndicate -- Akwan, 41,
alias Tjik Kwang, alias Ricky Chandra; and Haryono Agus, alias
Cahyono -- in two different places in West Jakarta.

Earlier, city police arrested 761 people, including five
foreigners, TNI soldiers and police officers, seizing over 100 kg
of drugs in raids conducted in dozens of places across the
capital.

"This explains why international drug syndicates are eager to
increase their deliveries to Indonesia, especially to Jakarta and
Bali, despite the fact that we have convicted so many foreigners
with death (sentences) for drug trafficking," Carlo said.

Dozens of drug traffickers, many of whom are foreign
nationals, have been sentenced to death by the Tangerang District
Court and the Denpasar District Court.

Last Wednesday, the Soekarno-Hatta Customs and Excise Office
confiscated 1 kg of cocaine found on a KLM plane, while earlier,
the National Narcotics Agency and customs arrested a foreigner
identified as Marcus Aijal, alias Max, and confiscated 34,801
ecstasy pills from him.

Officers at Denpasar's Ngurah Rai Airport also this year
arrested more than 15 foreigners who are alleged to have tried to
smuggle drugs onto the island, including Australian Schapelle
Corby who is accused of smuggling in 4 kg of cannabis. Judges are
expected to deliver Corby's verdict next week.

Head of the customs office at the Soekarno-Hatta Airport
Nofrial agreed that more foreigners were trying to smuggle drugs
into the country.

"After a quiet period last year, they are now trying to
increase their deliveries," he said.