Nine cops face firing for alleged drug use at police academy

Nine police officers may be fired after testing positive for drugs, according to a senior officer in Lampung.

The officers reportedly took unspecified narcotics in a dormitory at the State Police Academy (SPN) in Kemiling, Bandarlampung, during a workshop on professionalism and improving the police’s public image.

The case came to light following an impromptu inspection conducted by Lampung Police operations chief Sr. Comr. Rahyono on June 7.

Rahyono found a bong and ordered urine tests for the 91 participants at the workshop.

“We received the test results [on Thursday]. It turns out that nine of the police officers tested positive for drugs,” Rahyono said on Thursday.

Lampung Police deputy chief Sr. Comr. Rusman said investigators had begun questioning the suspects.

“We found an apparent bong, but failed to find the drugs. We will take stern action against those who are found guilty by dismissing them if necessary,” he said.

Rusman declined to disclose what drugs the officers tested positive for, saying investigators were still developing the case and determining the extent of each officers’ involvement.

“They are still at the SPN
Kemiling. We will disclose their names after questioning and before their ethics hearing,” Rusman said. “We have begun interrogating them as of Thursday.”

Rahyono expressed concern on how the drug allegations might tarnish the police. “This is a tough time for us at a time when we are aggressively combating drug trafficking in Lampung.”

The Lampung Police recently busted an international smuggling ring that allegedly used the Bakauheni-Merak ferry crossing.

Officers arrested drug couriers Jono, alias Asing, 37, and Jumadi, 31, at the Bakauheni Port on June 6.

The Riau residents were allegedly carrying 5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine in a backpack while returning from Jakarta.

Police officers shot Jono in the leg as he tried to flee from the port.

Separately, the South Lampung Police arrested several other alleged members of the smuggling ring, including Malaysian citizen Goay Hook Chye, 40.

Police confiscated 3 kilograms of crystal meth from the Penang resident, in addition to passports in the name of Goay Hook Chye and Lim Kok Pin, three backpacks, RM 296 (US$98) and six cell phones.

Lampung Police chief Brig. Gen. Sulistyo Ishak said international drug smugglers frequently used Indonesians living in border areas such as the Riau Islands as couriers.

“Police have many times seized huge caches of crystal meth. We seized 4 kilograms of crystal meth in August last year, 6 kilograms in February this year and more than 10 kilograms recently,” he said.

Sulistyo said Goay’s accomplice was LKP, also a Malaysian citizen. and also on the National Police’s most-wanted list.

“The 3 kilograms of crystal meth seized from Goay was the remainder of the 10 kilograms smuggled by Jono and Jumadi in May,” Sulistyo said.