Decrease in drug cases: Mataram prosecutors

MATARAM: The number of drug cases the Mataram prosecutors' office brought to court this year has decreased compared to last year, the prosecution chief IBN Wiswantanu said Tuesday.

Speaking after destroying evidence used in cases prosecutors had brought to court, Wiswantanu said there were 64 narcotics and 56 psychotropic substance cases heard by the courts in 2008. This year, only about 40 narcotic and 44 psychotropic substance cases were prosecuted.

He said the decrease was partly due to the deterrent effect of the punishment meted out to violators as well as the supervision and awareness campaigns run by various parties on the dangers of illegal drugs.

Despite the decrease, however, he said special attention still had to be given to the distribution of illegal narcotics and drugs in his jurisdiction especially as the region had grown into a tourist destination.

The Mataram prosecutors' office oversees regions under the jurisdictions of Mataram, West Lombok and North Lombok regency. - JP