he Depok Police in West Java have arrested a man and a male high school student for allegedly possessing gorilla tobacco, a new type of drug that has recently increased in popularity.
Depok Police narcotics division chief Comr. Putu Kholis said the two men were Bayu Triharyono, also known as Bule, 21, and Farhan Dwi Pratama, known as Abdul, 17.
“They were arrested on Wednesday in two separate locations carrying a total of 7.08 grams of gorilla tobacco,” Putu said on Friday as quoted by tempo.co.
He added that the police confiscated 17 rolls of the tobacco from Bule and another 3.38 grams from Abdul, which he had in a small plastic bag.
Bule was arrested at his rented house in Tugu subdistrict, Cimanggis, Depok, after reports from the public that drug abuse and transactions often took place at the house.
The police, Putu said, were currently gathering more information to uncover suppliers of gorilla tobacco in the area.
“We have detected that gorilla tobacco has been circulated among students,” he said.
According to the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), gorilla tobacco contains synthetic cannabinoids, chemical substances that were first encountered in Indonesia last year. Users reportedly feel they are in a gorilla’s crushing embrace, hence the name.
Synthetic cannabinoids can also induce effects such as psychotic episodes, agitation, aggression, anxiety, ideas of suicide as well as withdrawal and addiction. (fac)
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