Furthermore, the police seized 37.35 kilograms of marijuana, 148.61 grams of crystal methamphetamine, and 55.69 grams of gorilla tobacco, or synthetic marijuana, from the suspects.
The suspects involved in 22 drug cases belonged to inter-provincial networks, Head of the South Jakarta Metropolitan Police's Narcotics Investigation Department Commissioner Wadi Sa'bani stated here on Monday.
The suspected drug dealers and couriers were arrested at several locations around the provinces of Jakarta and Banten during the police's 2020 Nila Jaya Operation, he remarked, adding that several suspects were recidivists.
In comparison with last year's count of drug cases handled by the South Jakarta police, a spike in cases was recorded in 2020, while the offenders were on an average 20 years of age, he stated.
Indonesia remains under grave threat from drug dealers, who view the country as a potential market. The value of drug trade in Indonesia is projected to have reached at 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 pointed out 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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Translator: Laily R, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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