East Aceh Police Chief Adjunct Sen. Coms. Eko Widiantoro led the process to destroy the confiscated crystal meth package at the police precinct. During the event, the police also made the suspects of this drug crime stand in public.
The suspects, only identified by their initials as KS (38), BS (32), AJ, (45), TJ (23), and JN (23), are all residents of Julok Sub-district, East Aceh District, Aceh Province.
"They are currently being tried at the East Aceh District Court and subject to imprisonment of up to 20 years and death penalty," he stated, adding that the defendants were believed to belong to a transnational drug syndicate.
During their drug trafficking operation, they served as couriers, while the drug package belonged to a drug dealer, he revealed.
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Indonesia remains under grave threat from drug dealers, with several members of its working-age population siphoned into a vicious cycle of drug abuse.
The National Narcotics Agency’s (BNN’s) report showed that some 50 drug use-related deaths occurred daily in Indonesia. However, other drug users in the country seem undeterred by the death toll.
Users of crystal methamphetamine, narcotics, marijuana, and other addictive drugs transcend communities and socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.
Indonesia is perceived by both domestic and transnational drug dealers as a potential market due to its huge population and millions of drug users. Drug trade in the country is estimated at nearly Rp66 trillion.
In the face of the grave threat posed by drug lords, BNN Chief Commissioner General Heru Winarko had met with Security Minister Mahfud MD on December 5, 2019, to discuss matters pertaining to Indonesia's war on drugs, including the need to execute death row convicts.
"Capital punishment is part of the laws that should be imposed," Winarko had stated following his meeting with the coordinating minister for political, legal, and security affairs.
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Translator: M.Haris SA, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
