Bandung, W Java (ANTARA) - The West Java police's narcotics investigation directorate seized one kilogram of crystal methamphetamine in a month and arrested three suspected drug dealers.

"Within a period of one month, the directorate seized around a kilogram of crystal meth in three drug cases," West Java Police spokesman Sen. Coms. Erdi A. Chaniago stated here on Wednesday.

The suspects, identified as KA, MRZ, and AR, were apprehended during drug raid operations conducted in the areas of Bandung and Bogor districts as well as Cimahi City on Aug 31, Sept 2, and Sept 29, 2020.

Head of the West Java Police's Narcotics Investigation Directorate Sen. Coms. Rudy Ahmad Sudrajat revealed that most local drug dealers sold the drug packages to buyers by dropping them at specific locations.

The buyers then visited the places to pick up the drug packages after coordinating with the drug dealers, he noted, adding that the police investigators are yet handling drug cases of KA, MRZ, and AR to uncover their networks.

The police charged the three suspects under Articles 112 and 114 of Indonesian Drug Law No. 35 of 2009. If found guilty, they will be subject to death penalty or face a jail term of between six and 20 years.

Indonesia remains under grave threat from drug dealers, who perceive the country as a potential market. The value of drug trade in Indonesia is estimated to have reached nearly least Rp66 trillion.

Users of crystal methamphetamine, narcotics, marijuana, and other types of addictive drugs transcend communities and socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.

With drug kingpins smuggling and trading drugs in the country over the past few decades, the Indonesian government has continued to apply harsh punitive action against them.

National Police Chief General Idham Azis recently highlighted that district courts in different parts of Indonesia had awarded capital punishment to at least 100 drug offenders in the first half of 2020.

"May they soon be executed by firing squads to deter others," he stressed while witnessing the National Police special task force destroy 1.2 tons of crystal meth, 35 thousand ecstasy pills, and 410 kg of marijuana in Jakarta on July 2, 2020.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo had also issued shoot-at-sight orders against drug kingpins.

However, this has failed to deter drug traffickers, who continue to treat Indonesia as one of their main markets, even as Indonesian law enforcers continue their fight against them.
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EDITED BY INE

Translator: Bagus AR, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
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