Reveal 2 Narcotics Cases in Purbalingga, Police Secure 388 Psychotropic Pills in USB Charger
JAKARTA - The police have uncovered two cases of the circulation of methamphetamine by arresting two suspects in a series of enforcement operations in Purbalingga Regency, Central Java.
Deputy Head of the Purbalingga Police, Police Commissioner Agus Amjat Purnomo, said the disclosure was the result of an investigation and undercover patrol during January 2026.
"The first case concerns the alleged possession and storage of psychotropic drugs of group IV without the right to be traded with the suspect with the initials JP alias J (23), a resident of Banyumas Regency. The suspect was secured in the Padamara SPBU area, Padamara District, Purbalingga," he said in a press conference at the Wicaksana Laghawa Hall, Purbalingga Police, Friday, quoted by Antara.
From the suspect's hands, he said, officers secured 388 pieces of psychotropic drugs of Group IV of various brands packaged in aluminum foil and stored in a USB charger box, one mobile phone, a motorcycle, and other personal items.
He said the disclosure began with patrols and monitoring by officers on January 23-24 in the early morning.
"While taking shelter at the Padamara gas station because of the rain, officers found suspicious movements on the terrace of the mosque so that an inspection was carried out, and found psychotropic drugs on the suspect. From the results of the interrogation, the officers carried out an expansion and found additional evidence at the perpetrator's house," he said.
Meanwhile, the second case, Purnomo said, was related to the alleged intermediary in the circulation of methamphetamine involving a suspect with the initials IS alias I (38), a resident of Purbalingga.
According to him, the suspect was arrested on the edge of Purbalingga-Bobotsari Highway, Selaganggeng Village, when he was allegedly going to place a package of narcotics at a certain location.
"The modus operandi used is a 'plant' system, namely placing packages of methamphetamine at a number of points, taking pictures of them, and then sending the location to the party who ordered it. The suspect admitted to receiving a reward of Rp. 50 thousand per placement point," said the Deputy Police Chief.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Narcotics Unit of the Purbalingga Police, Deputy Commissioner of Police Ihwan Ma'ruf, said that the suspect in the psychotropic case with the initials JP was listed as a student and was a patient at a clinic in Bandung City.
"The person concerned has a medical card from a psychiatrist at a clinic in Bandung. Each control can be given about 200 pieces for several months, but the medicine is not used entirely, some are actually sold," he said.
He said the results of the investigation showed that the drugs were obtained through a doctor's prescription, but were then misused for trading.
Based on the suspect's confession, he said, the sale was only made to one person and some of them had not been sold because they had been secured by officers first.
The suspect was charged with Article 62 of Law Number 5 of 1997 concerning Psychotropic Drugs juncto Law Number 1 of 2026 concerning Criminal Adjustment, with a maximum sentence of five years in prison and/or a fine of up to Rp. 200 million.
Furthermore, for the case of methamphetamine, the officers secured evidence in the form of a number of methamphetamine packages with a total weight of around 9.4 grams which were disguised in a straw piece, wrapped in a plastic clip, put into a candy wrapper, then into another package before being placed in the location.
For his actions, the suspected intermediary for sabu-sabu was charged with Article 114 paragraph (2) of Law Number 35 of 2009 concerning Narcotics and Article 609 paragraph (2) letter a of the RI Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code (KUHP), which threatens a sentence of 5-20 years in prison, life imprisonment, to the death penalty, and a fine in accordance with the provisions of the law.