F

ive police officers arrested in three separate locations in Jakarta have been charged with drug trafficking, with two facing the possibility of a death sentence.

On Thursday, the narcotics team arrested Second Insp. Andri Agus Krismantoro, a member of the National Police'€™s security and intelligence unit, during a raid in Fatmawati, South Jakarta, seizing 15 grams of methamphetamine, electronic scales and a water pipe.

Later on Friday, the team arrested Chief Brig. Sudirman, a member of the West Jakarta Police'€™s narcotics unit, in a hotel parking lot in West Jakarta.

Some 9,700 ecstasy pills and more than 800 grams of methamphetamine were confiscated in the arrest.

Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Martinus Sitompul said Andri and Sudirman had been charged with violating Article 114 clause two of the Narcotics Law, which carried a death sentence.

A day earlier, Second Brig. Nurhidayat, First Brig. Susanto and Adj. Second Insp. Sukandar were arrested along with a private television company staff member, Heri Susanto, by the Jakarta Police'€™s narcotics division in South Jakarta.

The police also confiscated two grams of methamphetamine, electronic scales and a glass pipe in the arrest.

'€œThe four are charged with Article 114 clause 1 of Law No. 35/2009 on Narcotics,'€ Jakarta Police narcotics sub-directorate II head Adj. Sr. Comr. Parulian Sinaga said on Monday.

The article stipulates a life sentence and at least Rp 1 billion (US$79,270) in fines for those convicted of distributing drugs.

'€œThese arrests are our success, but [they] are also a blow to us, because we revealed drug abuse implicating police officers,'€ Martinus announced on Monday.

He said the five police officers had previously been arrested for drug possession, but an additional investigation had indicated their involvement in trafficking.

'€œI can ensure you that the five disgraced officers will be dismissed as soon as the court issues the verdict,'€ Martinus said.

Based on the police'€™s 2014 year-end report, narcotics offenses were the most common type of crime handled by the Jakarta Police, with 4,631 out of 4,933 cases solved. Combined, the drugs confiscated in the arrests would have sold for about Rp 534 billion ($42.4 million) at current street prices.

Last year, 19 officers were implicated in drug crimes, an increase from 13 officers in 2013.

In September 2014, rather than taking punitive measures, Jakarta Police rehabilitated 34 West Jakarta Police officers proven to have consumed methamphetamine. West Jakarta is considered one of the capital'€™s drug hot spots.

University of Indonesia (UI) police expert Bambang Widodo Umar said police supervisors should enhance oversight of officer officers.

'€œEvery police office head must be able to watch [over] each of his subordinates and cooperate with the provost division,'€ Bambang said.