Senior military officer's son caught with drugs
JAKARTA (JP): West Jakarta Police apprehended two men in possession of drugs at a hotel on Sunday morning, one of whom was reportedly an active member of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) and the son of a high-ranking Indonesian Military (TNI) officer.
Police sources close to the investigation identified the alleged Kopassus member as Second Lt. Agus Ishok, the eldest son of a senior officer in the Army.
As of last night, the Army remained silent about the case and no West Jakarta Police officers or their superiors at the Jakarta Police were willing to discuss its details.
However, the 22-year-old man initially identified himself as Deky Setiawan, and said he was a 20-year-old resident of Dago Permai housing complex in the West Java capital of Bandung, the source said.
The West Jakarta Police received a phone call on Sunday afternoon from a person claiming to be a Kopassus captain, who said Deky was a fellow member of the elite unit and the son of a senior military officer.
After double checking with the suspect, West Jakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Adjie Rustam Ramdja and his men were ordered by city police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman to bring the Kopassus officer to his father's home in order "to settle the case in accordance with military's procedures", the source said.
During early questioning, Deky showed the police detectives an identity card which stated he was a private employee from Bandung.
According to Noegroho, his men arrested Deky and another suspect, identified as Donny, in room 408 of the Travel Hotel in Mangga Besar, West Jakarta, at 3 a.m. on Sunday. The suspects were apprehended while smoking shabu-shabu, a crystal methamphetamine.
He said police found five kilograms of shabu-shabu, 6,177 ecstasy pills, 13 grams of heroin, Rp 2,980,000 (US$425) in cash and a check for Rp 3 million in Donny's bag, while a FN pistol and several marijuana cigarettes were confiscated from Deky.
The shabu-shabu was estimated to have a street value of at least Rp 150 million.
Police have, however, officially named Donny as the only suspect in the case.
Noegroho said no military members or sons of high-ranking officers were arrested during the police operation.
"Neither Donny nor Deky is a TNI member or the son of a TNI member," he said.
He also said if a TNI member was involved, the police would proceed as with any other narcotics case.
"Even if a military member was involved, this case would be handled like any other narcotics case," Noegroho said.
He dismissed reports that a firearm had been confiscated from the suspects.
"Rumors that a firearm was confiscated in the operation are wrong. It was an air rifle, not a firearm," the two-star general said.
Asked why the military police were involved in what police described as a routine operation, Noegroho said: "The military police always work with us on narcotics and robbery cases ... we want to get to the core of the drugs network in the country."
He said police would also question the hotel owner as a witness, adding that the hotel was often used to conduct drug transactions.
In a related development, Noegroho said he summoned owners of several night spots in the capital to city police headquarters on Tuesday, following reports that drug transactions were often made at the locations.
"They must know that they might lose their licenses if they are found guilty of distributing or supplying drugs within their buildings. They might also face jail sentences," Noegroho said. (emf/ylt)