Three alleged drug dealers arrested

Three alleged drug dealers arrested

JAKARTA (JP): Police detectives arrested three suspected drug
dealers during a raid Tuesday night on a house used for
fabricating Ecstasy pills on Jl. Teri in the Teluk Gong area,
North Jakarta, an official said yesterday.

City police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said that
Sumanjono, alias Yap Hock An and also known as Andy, 37; Amran
Hartono, alias Aho, 35; and Hermanto, alias Atuk, 46, were caught
red-handed with a total of 10,839 psychotropic pills, including
6,139 Ecstasy pills and 3,700 Rophinol pills.

"We also seized various devices used to produce the drugs.
They admitted to having run the operation for about six months,"
Aritonang said.

Sumanjono is reportedly the owner of the house, while the
other two suspects, Amran and Hermanto, allegedly mixed and
packed the drugs.

"The three supplied the pills to various Ecstasy dealers
throughout the city.

"They mixed real Ecstasy pills with other drug powder and
reproduced pills in various shapes, ranging from hearts and
Mickey Mouses to butterflies and Alladins," Aritonang said.

The pills were produced in various colors, such as pink,
purple, red and green.

Police also confiscated about five kilograms of drug powder
used as a basic material to fabricate the pills, along with four
drug reproduction machines, one mixer, 38 stamp machines, 44
brand devices to pack and mark the drugs and three hammers.

"We put the house under surveillance as soon as we received
information about the place earlier this week," Aritonang said.

The three suspects are currently being detained at city police
headquarters.

Sumanjono told reporters that he had sold the drugs for
between Rp 40,000 and Rp 60,000 each, depending on the quality.

A genuine Ecstasy pill, he said, could be made into two or
three phony Ecstasy pills after being mixed with powder from
other various drugs.

"I mixed it with cough medicine and various types of
painkilling drugs," he said.

City police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman, who was
present during the raid, told reporters yesterday that he hoped
his officers could capture other drug dealers through similar
raids.

"We believe that there are many houses in the city used for
this kind of activity. We also urge people to be careful,
especially parents whose children are addicted to these drugs.

"It's very dangerous to consume it, especially if the drugs
are fake," he said. (edt)