DRUG ADDICTS' SANCTUARIES UNDER POLICE'S NOSE

JAKARTA (JP): City police detectives have located a number of vacant and
quiet land plots in the capital which have become favorite spots for drug
addicts and dealers, an official said on Friday.

City police chief of detectives Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo revealed that
the sites drug addicts frequent included those located in the densely
populated subdistricts of Kebon Kacang in Central Jakarta, a site in the
vicinity of Trisakti University's Rawasari campus in East Jakarta and
another one in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.

According to Alex, detectives have been ordered to temporarily continue
monitoring the suspected spots prior to carrying out raids.

The officer said the police have decided to slow down the operation against
drug users in a bid to apprehend the "big fish" or drug suppliers. "The
consumers are just the little fish," Alex said.

But he insisted that Jakarta Police would no longer let the "little fish"
free as they have done before.

"Previously, we just let them go as we're after the big fish. Unfortunately,
they repeat their offences. Now we wish to teach these young people some
lessons," he said.

Therefore, he strongly hoped for public participation to give police any
information about places used for drug consumption and transactions and the
identities of people suspected of working as drug traders and suppliers.

According to Alex, many Jakartans still ignore the activities of youths who
regularly convene at quiet places in their neighborhood.

"This is not only the police's responsibility. Residents and particularly
parents should always closely watch what children are doing after school,"
the officer reminded.

He warned that the use of shabu-shabu (crystal metaphetamine) putaw
(low-grade heroin) and heroin have become popular among Jakarta teenagers in
the past few months.

The main problem for police is still locating main suppliers, or producers
of the drugs which have a street value between Rp 30,000 and Rp 80,000 (US$
4-10) per gram depending upon the grade, Alex said.

Based on police records and sources close to the drug circle, regular
consumers of shabu-shabu and putaw also include politicians, businessmen,
police officers, servicemen, high school students and journalists.

In the latest raid on Thursday afternoon, police detectives apprehended six
youths, aged between 17 and 20, in two Kijang vans parked in front of a
vacant plot on Jl. Halimun in Tebet, South Jakarta.

"One of the suspects is a grandson of a noted law professor in this
country," chief of Jakarta Police detectives of narcotics unit Lt. Col.
Abdullah said, referring to suspect Rama of Jl. Slamet Riyadi in Matraman,
East Jakarta.

Rama and his five friends, including a 19-year-old girl, were caught
red-handed consuming shabu-shabu inside the car.

The girl was identified as Astri of Tebet, while the other four as Dandy of
Pulau Sirih, Bekasi; Ricky Leonardo of Jakasampurna, Bekasi; Rusvan of
Matraman, East Jakarta; and Endra of Jl. Sindanglaya, Menteng, Central
Jakarta.

"We followed the case and later that night we picked up three alleged
shabu-shabu suppliers at their respective residences," officer Abdullah
explained.

The three alleged suppliers were Nico Sopacua, 39, of Kampung Rambutan, East
Jakarta; Ronny Napitupulu, 26, of Tebet; and Erwin of Kampung Bojong in
Depok.

Earlier on Wednesday, the city police arrested 15 people -- all under the
influence -- at a boarding house in Baturaja subdistrict, Central Jakarta.
Four of the suspects were university students.