Two men caught with ganja stash

JAKARTA (JP): Police detectives arrested two men in a rented home at Pulo Gebang, East Jakarta, on Wednesday for alleged possession of 25 kilograms of dry marijuana.

Jakarta Police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said the suspects, Wandi, alias Munir, 30, and Ridwan Muhammad, alias Iwan, 28, were arrested at the latter's house on Jl. Raya Rawa Kuning at 5 a.m.

"The suspects were arrested after selling the marijuana to undercover police officers," Lubis said.

The marijuana has a street value of about Rp 40 million.

Acting on a tip-off that small hotels along Jl. Raya Bogor were commonly used for marijuana transactions, several plainclothes officers were dispatched to visit Uli Artha motel early on Wednesday.

Finding nothing suspicious at the motel, the officers visited nearby Hotel Pondok Genggong and met Munir, Lubis said.

Police officers agreed to buy five kilograms of marijuana from Munir for Rp 10 million, he said.

After paying, the officers told Munir they wanted to buy more marijuana, he said.

The dealer than escorted the police officers to Iwan's house.

According to Zainuri, police arrested Iwan and Munir at the house and found 20 kilograms on the premises.

He said the suspects admitted to buying 70 kilograms of marijuana from a major dealer from Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra.

During preliminary questioning, the two suspects said they sold 50 kilograms of the marijuana for Rp 1 million per kilogram to a Depok resident, Lubis said.

Zainuri said the suspects will be charged under Article 78 of Law No. 22/1997 on narcotics which carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in jail and Rp 500 million fine.

On Sunday, Central Jakarta Police detectives arrested a bag trader for allegedly possessing 10 kilograms of marijuana at his rented house on Jl. Irawan in Tanah Tinggi.

City police seized a total of eight kilograms of marijuana during separate raids in January. (jun)