Undercover agents attacked in identity mix-up

JAKARTA (JP): Six plainclothes police detectives were attacked by residents of Kebon Kacang in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, on Monday afternoon. The detectives were attempting to arrest an alleged drug dealer, however the locals mistook them for thieves.

Col. Abdullah, chief of the narcotics unit of the city police detectives, said on Tuesday one of the police detectives suffered head injuries and also wounds to his arms.

The officer, identified as Sgt. Maj. Mustafa Kamal, was taken to the nearby Mintohardjo Navy Hospital for treatment.

Abdullah said the suspected drug dealer, identified as 33-year-old Irnawan, alias Iwan, was shot in the back and died shortly after at the same hospital.

He said the raid was launched after the police received a tip- off from an anonymous informant, who said locals frequently saw drug transactions in the area.

"When the six police officers... pretended to be buyers looking for putauw (low grade heroin), residents suggested they see Irnawan," Abdullah said.

Irnawan then offered the officers heroin, saying he only had a limited supply, Abdullah said.

"Both Irnawan and the officers settled a price of Rp 20 million for 100 grams of heroin. However, when the heroin was handed over, other plainclothes officers broke into the house and arrested Irnawan."

The alleged dealer tried to take advantage of the densely populated area by inciting the residents, Abudallah said.

When asked to enter the unmarked police vehicle, Irnawan repeatedly shouted: "I'm being robbed!"

"Residents rushed to the front of Irnawan's house, bringing with them all kinds of things, including sickles and swords, to attack the police," said Abdullah.

"When the residents attacked my officers, Irnawan tried to flee so he was shot."

The detectives were forced to fire at least three warning shots in an attempt to disperse the angry residents, who thought the detectives were a group of robbers.

In a separate incident, a Liberian citizen was taken to the Soekanto Police Hospital in East Jakarta after he was found in a comatose state in his room in the Pasar Baru Hotel on late Monday.

The man, identified as 30-year-old Meoth Swa, was believed to have suffered from a drug overdose.

"We have checked his urine and it's positive -- containing heroin -- and we are still waiting for an examination on his stomach, as the X-Ray has shown that there are black dots there," Abdullah said, adding that the dots were believed to be packages of heroin.

Doctors at the hospital reportedly had given Meoth laxatives to enable retrieval of the packages, but his condition was very weak.

On Monday, forensic experts at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital found 53 heroin-filled capsules inside the stomach of a Swazi national during a postmortem examination.

One of the capsules was believed to have split open before Chinedu Donsin Ochia had the chance to pass the capsules from his body.

Chinedu was found dead in his room at the Andalus Hotel in Menteng, Central Jakarta. The capsules were confiscated by police. (emf)