13 guards, nine prisoners proven to be drug positive

At least 13 guards and nine prisoners at the Banceuy drug rehabilitation penitentiary in Bandung, West Java, tested positive for drugs after urine laboratory tests on Wednesday.

The tests were conducted by the West Java office of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) over the last two weeks, office head Anang Pratanto said.

Anang said that the discovery proved penitentiary guards were involved in both the consumption and dealing of drugs, despite the rising frequency in operations and impromptu visits to penitentiaries by officials from the Law and Human Rights Ministry.

He explained that based on the findings from urine laboratory tests, guards and prisoners had mainly consumed marijuana and crystal methamphetamine, locally known as shabu-shabu.

“This clearly shows that the circulation of drugs within the penitentiary is real, as seen by the many officers involved in the circulation and misuse of drugs,” Anang told The Jakarta Post.

He further explained that the 13 drug-consuming officers were part of a group of 130 guards from Banceuy Penitentiary who underwent urine laboratory tests.

Two of the 13 drug-consuming officers were heads of section and sub-section, who should have been in charge of supervising their subordinates, while three of the nine drug-positive prisoners were from Nigeria.

Anang further said that the punishment for law enforcers who violated drug laws was entrusted to the Law and Human Rights Ministry.

Warden of the Banceuy Penitentiary Agus Toyib said that he would seriously follow up the results of the urine laboratory tests.

“We will cut the chain in drug trafficking at the penitentiary compound even though we’re hindered by the limited availability of drug detection devices,” said Agus, adding that officers found to be involved in drug consumption would face limited career prospects.

Agus said it was increasingly difficult to detect drug circulation at the penitentiary because aside from being thrown over from the other side of the walls, there were others who inserted them in cigarette packs. Just two months ago, a wife of a prisoner was found to have shabu-shabu hidden in her genital area.