All suspects and evidence of their crime have been transported to the Jakarta police for further investigationJakarta (ANTARA) - A joint team of police officers from Jakarta and Medan recently arrested eight members of the Aceh-North Sumatra-Jakarta drug ring, and seized 471.6 kg of dried marijuana from the suspects.
The suspects were apprehended during drug raid operations in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra Province, on April 5, and April 10, according to Jakarta Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Sen.Coms.Endra Zulpan.
The suspects, only identified by their initials PP, CA, F, HB, AC, I, A, and AD belong to an inter-provincial drug syndicate," Zulpan said in a statement on Sunday.
This inter-provincial drug ring could be uncovered as a result of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police investigators' findings of their recent probe into a drug case, he said.
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They then followed up on the findings by sending a team of personnel to Medan City. During a raid conducted on April 5, 2022, a joint team of police personnel nabbed PP, CA, F and HB, Zulpan said.
They confiscated 231 packs of dried marijuana weighing 369 kilograms. The suspects informed the police investigators on their drug ring. The confession resulted in the apprehension of four more suspects on April 10.
On that day, the police officers raided a warehouse where AC, I, A, and AD stored 102.6 kg of dried marijuana that they packed in 98 bags, he said.
"All suspects and evidence of their crime have been transported to the Jakarta police for further investigation," he said, adding that the suspects could be awarded with at least five-year imprisonment or death penalty.
Indonesia remains under grave threat from drug dealers, as several individuals from its working-age population have become trapped in a vicious cycle of drug abuse.
According to a report by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) report, at least 50 Indonesians die of drug use daily in the country. However, this statistic has failed to deter drug use in the country.
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The users of crystal methamphetamine, narcotics, marijuana, and other types of addictive drugs come from different communities and socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.
In February 2021, for instance, West Java Police's Internal Affairs Division (Propam) arrested 12 police officers for allegedly consuming narcotics.
Indonesia is perceived by both domestic and transnational drug dealers as a potential market due to its vast population and millions of drug users. The value of the drug trade in the country is estimated to have reached nearly Rp66 trillion.
In response to the smuggling of illicit drugs by drug kingpins over the past few decades, the Indonesian government has continued to apply harsh punitive action against them.
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Translator: FS Rassat, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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