“We have uncovered a clandestine lab in an apartment in Cengkareng,” chief of the West Jakarta Police’s Narcotics Division, Commissioner Vernal Armando, said.
During the raid, police officers found several raw materials and drug precursors used for producing the “happy water” powder, he informed.
However, he did not provide further details about the underground drug lab, saying it is still being investigated.
“The investigation is still underway. For the time being, we cannot yet give details on items of evidence or networks that may be involved,” he added.
As reported earlier, drug lords still see Indonesia 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 about Rp66 trillion (around US$4.3 billion).
As a result, Indonesia has seen drug addiction spiral into a life-threatening problem for millions of its people.
A survey conducted by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) pegs the number of drug users in Indonesia at 3.4 million.
As per the survey, around 180 out of every 10 thousand Indonesians, aged between 15 and 64 years, have fallen prey to drug addiction.
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Translator: Redemptus ERS, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Arie Novarina
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