Tangerang set for mammoth drug trials
Multa Fidrus, Tangerang
The Tangerang Police announced on Thursday that they had handed over the case files on 35 drug suspects to the prosecutorial authorities, and were expecting the cases to be tried simultaneously.
Tangerang Police deputy chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Aan Suhanan said that the defendants were arrested during a series of police raids in Tangerang municipality and regency in May and June.
"We have completed our investigations, and handed over the files to the Tangerang Prosecutor's Office last week," he said.
He further revealed that 26 of the suspects were arrested for allegedly using or being in possession of drugs, while the remaining nine were arrested for drug dealing.
The police charged 20 of the suspects alleged to have been in possession of marijuana or putaw (low grade heroin) with violating Articles 78 and 82 of the Psychotropic Substances Law. Both articles carry a maximum sentence of death.
Meanwhile, 10 suspects arrested for possession of ecstasy pills, four for possession of shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine), and another suspect arrested for possession of lexotan pills, were all charged with violating Articles 59 and 62 of the law. They face a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail if convicted.
As a result of the raids, the police confiscated 562.3 grams of marijuana, 0.5 grams of putaw, 1.9 grams of shabu-shabu, dozens of ecstasy pills, and 40 lexotan pills.
Top police narcotics detective, Comr. Suparno, added that the force had apprehended a total 130 suspects in 92 drug cases since January. Five of the suspects are school students, eight university students, 46 company employees and 26 businesspeople, while the remaining suspects have other occupations.
Comparing the number of people arrested on an annual basis, Suparno said it had increased from 144 in 2001 to 229 in 2002, and to 274 people in 2003.
Aan Suhanan said that the police had yet to arrest the main drug suppliers "as they use the cell system when dealing with each other."