Two police, civilian held for detainee's escape
JAKARTA (JP): Two police officers and a civilian have been arrested over the escape of an alleged heroin smuggler from the National Police detention center last month.
The National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo said the two middle-rank officers and a civilian employee at the National Police headquarters were on duty when the alleged smuggler, Limbane Cosmo, a South African passport holder, escaped from his cell on Feb. 2.
"We have interrogated them and know how Cosmo escaped," Dibyo said after a meeting on Alert Centers at Jakarta Military Command headquarters.
The police believe Cosmo is still in Indonesia, he said.
But the police were ready cooperate with the International Police to arrest the suspect if he had gone abroad, Dibyo said.
Dibyo refused to name the three suspects or give their roles in arranging Cosmo's escape.
The three-star general also declined to say what punishment the three suspects could get for their offenses.
He said the police were still investigating the role of a narcotics syndicate in the escape of the alleged heroin smuggler.
Cosmo arrived at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport from Bangkok via Singapore on Jan. 8 with 320 grams of heroin in 25 capsules.
He swallowed 11 of the capsules, leaving 14 capsules in his pocket. Customs and Excise officers found them when he collapsed in the immigration area after arrival.
"Some of the capsules probably leaked causing him to collapse," an officer said at the time. Cosmo was taken to the Kramatjati Police Hospital before being removed to National Police detention center.
It was the second escape of an alleged heroin smuggler from police custody.
A Ghanaian, suspected of smuggling 650 grams of heroin, escaped from City Police detention in October 1995 before being recaptured in April last year.
No police officer was punished for helping him escape.
The Ghanaian, Ibrahim S., was found guilty by Jakarta District Court on Dec. 14, and is serving 20 years in jail.
Yesterday's meeting on Alert Centers, which was closed to reporters, was sponsored by the City Military Command.
The meeting, attended by the Army Chief of Staff Gen. R. Hartono and City Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso, was on promoting the existence of the seven alert centers in Jakarta, Bekasi and Tangerang.
Hartono briefed the audience, including the chairman of Jakarta's chapter of Golkar, Tadjus Sobirin, and dangdut king Rhoma Irama, about the use of the Alert centers.
Sutiyoso said people could dial 122 for free in cases of emergency, and they would be connected to the nearest of the seven alert centers.
"We have received many reports. We appreciate the reports and will process them further," Sutiyoso said.
He said the military command had cooperated with the state- owned telecommunication company PT Telkom to install the telephone number.
Sutiyoso said Telkom had donated eight computers, and modems, to setup a data telecommunications system. "The military command can use the system to communicate with the military districts." (jun)