Medan, N Sumatra (ANTARA News) - A total of 11 drug dealers in North Sumatra province have been shot dead since early this year, police said.

Two of the 11 drug dealers were shot dead by the team of drug detective unit of the Medan city police recently, Chief of the North Sumatra Provincial Police Inspector General Rycko Amelza Daniel said here on Thursday.

The two drug dealers, identified by their initials as Mr(22) and Ml (22), were residents of Sigli, Aceh province.

"The two drug dealers were the tenth and the eleventh who were shot dead," he said.

Daniel, who was accompanied by Chief of the Medan City Police Senior Commissioner Sandi Nugroho said before being shot dead the two were arrested at Sei Rokan Street while riding a motorcycle. The police found 1 kilogram of crystal meth on the motorcycle.

The police later searched the rented house of the two suspects but they found no drugs. When the police interrogated them they said they still kept crystal meth in a housing complex at Bunga Raya Street.

When the police searched the housing complex, they found a backpack containing 1 kilogram of crystal meth.

The suspects later used a locally-assembled gun kept in the backpack to threaten the police officers. They later managed to escape to the cemetery near the housing complex.

The police chased the suspects and shot them dead as they ignored warning shots.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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