Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Jakarta metropolitan police has uncovered a drug case involving the supply of 2,500 saturated absorbent papers laced with lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) from Germany, a police officer said here on Friday.

The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) classifies the hallucinogenic agent in addicted drug group number 1, director of the Jakarta Police's Narcotics Investigation Division, Sen.Coms.Hengki, said.

LSD is abused orally, he informed adding, it can make users hallucinate as well as experience anxiety disorder and self-control failure.

In connection with the drug case, police arrested a drug dealer, identified by his initials as NK, in the Tanah Abang neighborhood of Central Jakarta on February 8, 2024, and seized at least 2,500 saturated absorbent papers laced with LSD from him, he said.

"Each of the saturated absorbent papers of LSD is sold at Rp100 thousand," Hengki added.

NK has been charged with violating Articles 114 (2) and 112 (2) of Indonesia's Drug Law Number 35 of 2009, under which he faces imprisonment of 5 to 20 years, he added.

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies LSD as "a potent hallucinogen."

As per the DEA's official website, LSD is also known as "acid," "blotter acid," "dots," "mellow yellow," and "window pane."

Available in the form of saturated absorbent paper, tablets or "micro dots," saturated sugar cubes, or as a liquid, LSD has a high potential for abuse and currently has no accepted medical use in the United States.

According to the DEA, those who misuse LSD may experience dilated pupils, higher body temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry mouth, and tremors.

Domestic and transnational drug dealers consider Indonesia 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 (around US$4.24 billion), with the number of drug trafficking cases continuing to rise.

A joint survey conducted by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) in 2019 pegged the number of drug users in Indonesia at over 3.4 million.

The survey conducted in 34 provinces indicated that about 180 out of every 10 thousand Indonesians in the age group of 15 to 64 years were addicted to drugs.

The users of crystal methamphetamine, narcotics, marijuana, and other types of addictive drugs can belong to any community and socioeconomic and cultural background.

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Translator: Ilham K, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Arie Novarina
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