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)