POLICE TO GET TOUGH ON DRUGS

JAKARTA (JP): Marking its massive campaign against illegal drugs, the
National Police have taken initial internal law-enforcement measures
against its low-ranking officers allegedly involved in drug abuse and
trafficking.

National Police chief Lt. Gen. Rusdihardjo said on Saturday after
addressing a seminar on drugs at private Trisakti University in West
Jakarta, that "so far, the National Police have identified 56
officers, ranging in rank from second-sergeant to major, as being
involved in drug cases nationwide."

The three-star general, however, did not disclose when and where the
arrests took place.

"Some of the officers, who are young, are traffickers. But, mostly
they are users," he said.

"Consuming drugs has become some youngsters' lifestyle, including
young police personnel. The police officers will be isolated from
their peers if they don't consume drugs," he added.

He said the National Police have meted out punishment to the officers,
depending on the level of their involvement in offenses.

"The minimum punishment was to suspend the officers. Some have even
been prosecuted at military courts," he said.

Rusdihardjo said the number of police involved in drug cases had
reached an alarming level.

"The national campaign against drugs will never be a success if the
law enforcers, including police officers, are involved in taking drugs
and trafficking," he said.

Besides punishing police personnel involved in drugs, the National
Police are also strengthening supervision during drug raids and
investigations, he said.

"The National Police will set rules to tighten supervision during drug
raids, so the evidence will not be kept or sold by police conducting
the raids," he said.

The police chief said drug dealers were the ones who took advantage of
police officers' involvement in drugs.

"Dealers provide drugs to the young police personnel. In return, they
expect protection from the officers," he said.

Rusdihardjo said the police could not wipe out the rampant drug
trafficking and consumption in the country without help from the public.

"Since the number of police is limited, the public should inform the
police as soon as they find illegal drugs being consumed or trafficked
in their respective neighborhoods," he said.

In Indonesia, one officer oversees 1,300 people. It is far from the
ideal ratio, in which one officer oversees 300 people.

Rusdihardjo said the drug problem has worsened as only a small number
of people were willing to testify in court in drug cases.

"People are still reluctant to testify in court on drug cases, as they
are afraid of threats by drug syndicates.

"We will propose soon a draft bill to the House of Representatives for
a witness protection plan ," he said, while citing that other
countries, such as the United States, have such rulings.

Rusdihardjo also criticized judges for the low sentences they impose
on drug users or traffickers in the country.

"The judges set too many considerations in the verdict. In other
countries, like Malaysia, once a person smuggles more than 15 grams of
heroin into the country, the judges will sentence him or her to
death," he said.

He cited as an example that more than 400 people, including
foreigners, had been executed in Malaysia.

He said illegal drug distribution here had reached a dangerous level
for the country's sustainable development programs.

"The fate of the country is uncertain. Today, university students and
scholars, the future leaders of the country, have also trafficked in
and consumed drugs," he said.