Senior military officer's son caught with drugs

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)