Marcello “Ello” Tahitoe (kapanlagi.com)

The police have intensified their operations to hunt down and arrest drug dealers and users, including celebrities, as they step up their game in the fight against drug abuse.

Since early this year, the Jakarta Police have arrested at least 15 actors and musicians for alleged drug consumption. The drugs in circulation include crystal methamphetamine, marijuana and psychotropic substances such as “Happy Five” and Dumolid.

The most recent arrest was made by the South Jakarta Police, which detained singer Marcello “Ello” Tahitoe, 34, for alleged possession of marijuana. The police have named him a suspect.

Ello, who rose to fame with after remaking the song “Pergi untuk Kembali” (Leave to Return) in 2008, was caught at a house in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, with two other men, DM and RGG, on Sunday.

The police seized from them two packages, each containing five grams of marijuana.

The police released RGG afterwards due to lack of evidence.

“From the investigation, they admitted to buying marijuana for Rp 200,000 [US$15] per package. They made the transaction near a university in South Jakarta,” South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Iwan Kurniawan said.

Ello admitted he had been using marijuana since his university days for recreational purposes,
Iwan said.

The police will conduct tests on Ello to see whether he can be rehabilitated, while they press charges against him for drug abuse, Iwan added.

Despite the frequent busts against celebrities, South Jakarta Police drug unit head Comr. Vivick Tjangkung said the police did not specifically target celebrities in their operations. “The police will act firmly against all drug users regardless of their background,” she said.

A lawyer with the Community Legal Aid Institute (LBH Masyarakat), Yohan Misero, said the arrest showed the police were trying to restore their image, which has lately been marred because of their failure to solve some cases, including the acid attack against Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigator Novel
Baswedan.

However, the police should not only focus on tracking down drug users. More importantly, they should hunt down the drug dealers, he said.

National Police commission member Poengki Indarti said the police’s move to arrest and expose celebrity drug users was in line with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s and National Police chief Tito Karnavian’s tough stance against drug distribution.

The arrest could disseminate a message to the public to avoid consuming drugs, she said.

“As celebrities are public figures, the public can see that to consume drugs is not right. The arrests can also prevent the public from using drugs,” she said.

On July 22, Jokowi ordered law enforcers to shoot drug dealers on site, especially foreigners, and offer them no mercy.

Last Tuesday, Jakarta Police chief Insp. Idham Azis said he would dismiss his subordinates if they failed to handle drug trafficking in the capital.

Nanda Persada, the head of the Association of Indonesian Artists Managers (IMARINDO), said celebrities were prone to drug abuse due to the nature of their jobs, which demanded physical endurance and often triggered depression.

As an example, an actor who stars in a soap opera must work from early dawn without enough time to rest.

They could not take their jobs for granted because of the tight competition between actors, he said.

“Sometimes, the actors cannot sleep because they are too exhausted. So they consume certain kinds of drugs to help them,” Nanda said.

He added that it was easy for artists to get drugs, as drug traffickers often targeted them due to their glamorous lifestyles.

_________________________

Celebrities arrested for drug abuse:

• Aug. 3: Couple Tora Sudiro and Mieke Amalia are arrested for allegedly possessing and consuming Dumolid without a doctor’s prescription.

• July 17: Model Axel Matthew Thomas is arrested for allegedly possessing Happy Five

• July 16: Actress Pretty Asmara and seven artists are arrested for allegedly consuming crystal meth, ecstasy and Happy Five

Popular

Great Barrier Reef hit by record bleaching

Govt to undo latest curbs on personal imports

Middle East on edge as Israel and Iran trade threats