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.