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Nabbed police officers linked to int'€™l drug ring

Two members of the West Kalimantan Police detained by the Royal Malaysian Police in Kuching, Sarawak, East Malaysia, on Aug

Severianus Endi (The Jakarta Post)
Pontianak
Tue, September 2, 2014

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Nabbed police officers linked to int'€™l drug ring

T

wo members of the West Kalimantan Police detained by the Royal Malaysian Police in Kuching, Sarawak, East Malaysia, on Aug. 29 are believed to be involved in an international drug syndicate, an official has said.

West Kalimantan Police chief Brig. Gen. Arief Sulistyanto said he was still waiting for further information on the case, which was handled by the Bukit Aman Police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

'€œClearly, this case has tarnished efforts that have been made by the West Kalimantan Police in improving the [image of the] institution,'€ Arief told the media at the West Kalimantan Police headquarters late on Sunday.

Arief was accompanied by the West Kalimantan deputy police chief, as well as a number of high-ranking directors and officials with police from across the province during the press conference.

'€œThis shows our eagerness in responding to the case,'€ he said.

He said he learned about the development when he was on his way to Singkawang from Mempawah, West Kalimantan, at around 7:30 p.m. local time on Friday and received a call from a Kuching police liaison officer who told him that at around 3:15 p.m. the Royal Malaysian Police had arrested three people in a hotel.

The arrest was made after the Malaysian police had built a case following the capture of a drug courier at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

The suspect had planned to send the contraband to Kuching, so the Malaysian police brought him there to meet and identify the concerned party.

The drug courier'€™s tip led to two members of the West Kalimantan Police identified as mid-ranking Adj. Sr. Comr. Idha Endi Prastiono and Chief Brig. Harahap.

Idha had once served as the head of a unit at the Narcotics Directorate, while Harahap was a member of the Entikong Police precinct.

Arief said he had reported the matter to the National Police chief Gen. Sutarman and asked permission from him to send a team from the West Kalimantan Police to Kuching on Aug. 30.

The team, led by a West Kalimantan Police deputy chief, consisted of the Narcotics and Intelligence director and the Entikong Police chief.

'€œThey met with Royal Malaysian Police officials who told them the case was being handled by the Bukit Aman Police in Kuala Lumpur,'€ said Arief.

Meanwhile, the National Police stated it would try not to get involved in the legal process of the two arrested police officers.

'€œThe National Police will not intervene in the legal case of the two police officers who have been arrested in Malaysia in relation to alleged drug possession,'€ spokesman of the National Police Sr. Comr. Agus Rianto said, as quoted by Antara on Monday.

Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said his ministry would watch the development of the legal case. He said there would be no efforts to lobby the neighboring country about it.

'€œI don'€™t think there is any lobbying. I think the related parties [Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto] have communicated with Mr. Menkopolhukam, so the case can proceed according to the legal process,'€ he said.

He said Djoko had also reported the case to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

According to Malaysia'€™s Narcotics Law, if they are found guilty the officers could be sentenced to death.

It remains unclear which drugs were allegedly being smuggled by the officers.

The arrest of police officers from both Indonesia and Malaysia is nothing new.

On Feb. 18, the Medan District Court sentenced a Malaysian police officer, identified as Lance Cpl. Salim bin Muhammad Yusof, to four years in prison for possessing 0.5 grams of crystal methamphetamine.

The court also fined Salim, who was arrested at Polonia International Airport in Medan, North Sumatra, in May last year, the sum of Rp 800 million (US$69,565).

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