DEATH SENTENCE SOUGHT FOR DRUG OFFENDERS

JAKARTA (JP): With an increasing trend of drug abuse, National Police
headquarters is seeking a more effective preventive measure against the use
and sale of drugs.

Spokesman for the National Police Headquarters Brig. Gen. Togar M. Sianipar
suggested on Wednesday that Indonesia should consider implementing the
death penalty for drug offenders.

"If Indonesia is really serious in its fight against drugs, the government
must consider drafting a law to enact the death penalty for drug
traffickers and dealers," he told reporters.

"Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Japan sentence drug traffickers and
dealers to death. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, drug dealers get out of jail
within months," he said.

Article 60 of Law No.5/1997 on psychotropic substances carries a maximum
penalty of 15 years in jail or a fine of up to Rp 200 million (US$26,666).

Quoting a police report, Togar said world drug syndicates had started using
Asians as traffickers more frequently than Nigerians to bring drugs into
Indonesia.

"It's easier to use traffickers of Asian origin as morphine and heroin
enter Indonesia through Asia's Golden Triangle (Thailand, Laos, Myanmar).

"Shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) comes in from China, via Hong Kong,
Bangkok and Singapore. Meanwhile, cocaine comes in from Columbia," he said.

"Up to 50 kilograms of heroin enters Indonesia every month. However drugs
are also leaving Indonesia, the world today has direct access to Aceh's
marijuana," he said.

Jakarta, Surabaya and Bandung are the three major centers for drug
consumption in the country.

He said police had recorded 521 cases of narcotics abuse in the first half
of this year.

"By the end of this year, the number of cases of drug abuse could exceed
last year's record of 958 cases," he said.

Meanwhile, former ambassador to the United States Lt. Gen. (ret) Hasnan
Habib confirmed that Military officials have long supported the drug
network in Southeast Asia.

"Some military officers in Southeast Asia regions back the drug network.
Not only in Indonesia, but also in Thailand, Japan and the rest of the
Asian region," he said.

Disclose

Hasnan called on the Indonesian Military (TNI) to disclose the true story
of an Army's Special Force (Kopassus) member Second Lt. Agus Ishok, who was
caught earlier this month for drugs use and possession.

"TNI must dare to take responsibility. It must explain to the people what
the case was all about," he told reporters at the sidelines of a seminar on
the future welfare of the National Police on Wednesday.

"Whatever the consequence of the case, TNI must explain," he said.

Meanwhile, City Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman still declined
to comment on Agus' involvement in the case.

"I don't know... I don't know anything about the case anymore. Don't ask me
about it. I am not handling the case," Noegroho told reporters on Wednesday.

Asked whether he knew that Agus had been detained at the Kopassus'
headquarters, Noegroho replied: "don't ask me!"

"If you heard it from the Kopassus guys, why don't you ask them. I am not
handling this case."

As reported earlier, West Jakarta Police apprehended Agus and his friend
Donny in possession of heroin, shabu-shabu and more than 6,000 ecstasy
pills in a hotel on Aug. 8.

Upon Noegroho's order, Agus, the eldest son of a top-ranking Army officer,
was later escorted to his father's home to settle the case in accordance
with the military procedures", a source had said. (ylt)