Police warn three discos, nab drug users
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Jakarta Police announced on Thursday that they and the city administration had arrested more than 400 people for drug use during the past few weeks and had warned three discotheques for operating beyond the time limits set by the new regulations.
Police also said three people were recently caught in possession of drugs in one of the discotheques in a combined police, National Drugs Agency (BNN) and city administration operation.
Spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono said police had issued warning letters to the Sidney 2000, Crown and Stadium nightclubs, all in West Jakarta, earlier this week for operating beyond the time limits.
"We have warned them. They have promised to obey the rules. If we find them violating the law once more, we will ask the city administration to revoke their licenses," he said.
Article 2 of the Gubernatorial Decree No. 98/2004 stipulates a nightclub can only operate until 3 a.m. while Bylaw No. 10/2004 on tourism rules that the city administration can close down a nightclub if it operates after that time.
Tjiptono said that officers had gathered preliminary evidence earlier that the three discotheques were frequently violating the time limit.
He said police would continue to monitor nightclubs to prevent them from being used as places for drug transactions.
Three drug users, identified as Anton Hantoyo, Ridwan Rachman and Djanfa were arrested at the Sidney 2000 discotheque early this week in possession of ecstasy pills.
"We caught them with several ecstasy pills in their wallets. We have detained them at the police headquarters since," Tjiptono said.
City police are currently carrying out an antidrug campaign targeting nightclubbers.
They had earlier raided several discotheques and led visitors to the city police headquarters to undergo a urine test. Those found to have drug traces in their urine were required to report to police every other day.
Last week, the police organized an event at the Millennium discotheque in West Jakarta to show the public that they could have fun parties without drugs.
Similar events are set to be held in the next two months at the Embassy, the Dragonfly in Central Jakarta, Hai-Lai in North Jakarta, Athena in West Jakarta, and Blowfish in South Jakarta.
The head of city police's drug unit Sr. Comr. Carlo Brix Tewu said that they had arrested hundreds of people for using drugs in several discotheques in Jakarta during the past four weeks.
"We have arrested over 400 people so far. We are now preparing them for trial. We have tested the urine of thousands of discotheque visitors, and found hundreds of them tested positive for using drugs," he told The Jakarta Post.
National Police Chief Gen. Sutanto had earlier told regional police chiefs across the country to crack down gambling as drugs as well as thugs, who have continued to sow fears among the public at large.