Brimob officer nabbed for drugs in Semarang

The Jakarta Post, Semarang Fri, May 24 2013


A member of the Central Java Police’s Mobile Brigade (Brimob) identified as Chief Brig. Abdul Hamid has been arrested for alleged involvement in drug trafficking, the province’s National Narcotics Agency (BNNP) announced on Thursday.

The agency’s narcotics eradication deputy head, Benny J. Mamoto, said Hamid was arrested on Tuesday as he was about to take delivery of a package of crystal methamphetamine, locally known as sabu-sabu.

Hamid, a member of Brimob’s Kompi A Srondol, Semarang, tested positive for the drug. “We are still investigating whether he is also a drug dealer,” Benny said.

The arrest was made at 5 p.m. local time after the BNNP received information about a planned drug transaction involving Hamid on Jl. Cipta Karya.

Officials followed Hamid and arrested him and seized 1 gram of crystal meth, a package of marijuana and a cell phone.

The BNN has arrested a number of police officers in the province since February.

The first arrested officer was First Insp. Hendro Priyo Wibisono, a member of the Central Java Police’s Internal Affairs Division (Propam), on Feb. 25. He was suspected of running a network of drug dealers
operating in Kedungpane Penitentiary, Semarang.

In April, Brig. Rahmat Sutopo, a member of the police’s intelligence unit, was arrested for allegedly supplying drugs to naval personnel.

The arrested officers, including Hamid, were thought to be part of the network led by a Kedungpane inmate named Rino Arryanto, who was recently sentenced to five years in prison for drug dealing.

“The drug deals are controlled from within the prison. As long as there is a communication device, drug dealers can still control both delivery and payment,” Benny said.

Benny also said there was a possibility that prison guards were involved by lending cell phones to inmates. Guards, he added, could charge inmates for the use of their cell phones.

Drug dealing controlled from with prisons, according to Benny, was prevalent. “The fact that 40 percent of BNN’s detainees are inmates proves this. Many are arrested while serving jail terms,” he said, blaming the condition on the loose enforcement of prison regulations.

Separately, Central Java Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Djihartono said the police’s drug investigation directorate was investigating drug distribution among police personnel. Once a police officer is found to be involved, he said, he/she would be charged under Law No. 35/2009 on narcotics.

“The police officer will also be sanctioned, perhaps even before the trial is over,” he said.