Jakarta (ANTARA) - Five police personnel were arrested for alleged drug misuse in the Cimanggis neighborhood of Depok city, West Java, on April 20, a police spokesperson said on Sunday.

Investigators from the Jakarta Metropolitan Police will dig deeper into the drug offense, the spokesperson, Police Chief Commissioner Ade Ary Syam Indradi, said.

He added that he could not divulge further details on the cops alleged to be involved in the case as police investigators are still probing the case.

Indradi assured that the case would be handled professionally as Jakarta Metropolitan Police chief, Police Inspector General Karyoto, has committed to the war on drugs.

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 climb.

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

A joint survey conducted by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) in 2019 estimated 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 arrests of the five police officers in Depok, West Java, for alleged drug misuse have extended the list of Indonesian police officers found to be involved in drug-related cases.

In November 2020, a police officer in Deli Serdang district, North Sumatra province, was sacked over his involvement in a drug-related offense.

In June 2020, a policeman was arrested for consuming crystal methamphetamine at a hotel in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara.

In July 2020, at least 260 policemen in South Sumatra underwent a rehabilitation program to recover from drug addiction.

In October 2022, former West Sumatra Police chief, Police Inspector General Teddy Minahasa, came under intense media scrutiny owing to his alleged involvement in a drug trafficking case.

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Translator: Ilham K, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Anton Santoso
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