East Java Police Arrest 4 Village Heads In Jember For Drug Cases

Head of Public Relations of the East Java Police Grand Commissioner Gatot Repli Handoko (ANTARA)

SURABAYA - The ranks of Sub-Directorate I of the Directorate of Drug Investigation at the East Java Police arrested four individual village heads in Jember Regency for being involved in a case of drug abuse of the type of methamphetamine.

The Head of Public Relations of the East Java Police, Grand Commissioner Gatot Repli Handoko, said that the four village heads had the initials MM (40), MA (48), ST (44), and HH (52).

"Currently, the suspects are still under intensive examination at the East Java Police's Narcotics Directorate. Investigators are still developing the case," he said, Friday, June 11.

He explained that the case came to light after Sub-Directorate I of the East Java Police's Narcotics Directorate, led by Commissioner Adjutant Riyanto, arrested MM at his home on Wednesday, June 9 night.

When MM's house was searched, officers found two pockets of methamphetamine weighing 1.72 grams, four glass pipettes in a small candy box, and used pipettes, as well as a cell phone.

After being questioned, the suspect MM said that the crystal methamphetamine was obtained by purchasing 2 grams from someone twice at different times. Each delivery, he said, amounted to one pocket of methamphetamine.

Furthermore, officers moved to arrest the perpetrator MA on Thursday (10/6) in the morning, who previously consumed crystal methamphetamine with MM.

When questioned, MA admitted that he was asked by a person with the initials ST to find methamphetamine, and with this information, officers arrested ST a few hours later.

"When a search was carried out on ST, it was found a pocket of methamphetamine weighing 0.77 grams along with plastic wrap and a set of suction devices in a brown bag. ST admitted that the crystal methamphetamine came from MA," he said.

Gatot continued that the officers then arrested the suspect HH, who had previously consumed methamphetamine with MM at his home.

However, he continued, when they were searched, the police did not find any evidence of methamphetamine at HH's place.

"We will continue to develop this case and do not rule out the possibility of other suspects. We will forward this case to the Jember Police," said Grand Commissioner Gatot Repli.

From the arrest, the police confiscated a total of 2.49 grams of crystal methamphetamine from suspects MM and ST. In addition, four cellphones belonging to the suspect have confiscated as well as a suction device along with used glass pipettes.

The four suspects were charged with Article 114 paragraph (1) and Article 112 paragraph (1) and/or Article 127 paragraph (1) letter a Jo Article 132 paragraph (1) of the Republic of Indonesia Law no. 35 of 2009 concerning Narcotics and Article 114 paragraph (1) and Article 112 paragraph (1) of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 35 of 2009 concerning Narcotics.