Shower evokes drug confession

JAKARTA (JP): Three men were forcibly stripped and told to bathe in a freshwater catfish pond on Saturday morning after they were apprehended by Kampung Bali subdistrict head Siswanto for allegedly possessing a plastic packet of heroin and syringes.

The suspects, identified as Ruli, 25, Muriat, 23, and Hendri, 24, were taken by village development noncommissioned officers (Babinsa) to the Kampung Bali subdistrict office on Jl. Kampung Bali V, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta.

"The three guys were forced by Siswanto to bathe in the pond of the subdistrict office for about an hour. It's Siswanto's way of punishing them," a Tanah Abang Police officer said.

The officer, who requested anonymity, said Siswanto had wanted to catch the suspects with the drugs for some time.

"When he saw them passing his office, he called them in. He asked them if they had purchased drugs. They said they had no idea what he was talking about. Siswanto had Babinsa officers do a body search on them," the officer said.

"The officers found heroin on Hendri and syringes on Ruli and Muriat. The three were stripped and told to get in the pond. Siswanto did the honors of spraying the three down with a water hose."

The shower prompted the three to confess that they usually bought drugs from Jl. Subur in Roxy, West Jakarta, the officer said.

After an hour, the three men were escorted by Babinsa officers to the Tanah Abang Police department, where they were released later on Saturday afternoon. (ylt)