Police arrest two over marijuana

Indah Setiawati ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Denpasar   |  Sat, 11/29/2008 11:31 AM  |  Bali

Bali Police narcotic detectives arrested two men, identified only as BL and MI, for allegedly possessing marijuana. The detectives were still pursuing the third suspect, identified as EN, who was believed to be the owner of the seized contraband.

The suspects were arrested on Nov. 21, but the police did not release the details of the suspects until Friday.

"Both BL and MI denied owning the marijuana. BL, the first suspect arrested said he had only helped EN by keeping it and he later asked MI to share the responsibility of storing it," senior officer Adj. Sr. Comr. Made Parwatha said.

The investigating officers did not believe the information provided by the suspects and were still gathering additional evidence to determine whether or not the two suspects were drug couriers or marijuana dealers, he said.

"That is why we have only charged them with violating drug code No.22/1997, Article 78, clause 1 on possession of marijuana. If we find evidence proving they were also selling, we will charge them under Article 82," he said.

Under Article 78, they face a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp 500 million (US$41,666), while Article 82 carries the death sentence or a lifetime imprisonment or 20 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp 1 billion.

Police caught BL, 31, and raided his boarding room on Jl. Segara Wangi in Kuta, Badung regency. There the police claim they found a total of 89.4 grams of marijuana packed in three small plastic bags, along with a cigarette pack and papers.

After questioning BL, a resident of Lampung, Sumatra, police asked him to invite another suspect, MI, to a meeting place on Jl. Raya Uluwatu in Badung. Allegedly BL also asked MI to bring a supply of marijuana.

Parwatha said undercover police arrested MI, a 32-year-old resident of Depok, West Java, when he appeared at the meeting point.

They claim to have confiscated 130 grams of marijuana in two plastic packages found inside his bag and later searched his boarding room on Jl. Waturenggong, Denpasar, where they claim to have found 900 grams of marijuana packed in a plastic bag.

Parwatha alleges that MI said he had gotten the marijuana from BL, saying that BL had asked him only to keep it. The two suspects are currently under police custody at Bali Police headquarters.

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