JAKARTA: The chief of Bima police in West Nusa Tenggara, Sr Adj Comr Didik Puta Kuncoro, along with several of his subordinates, has been arrested for allegedly abusing and trafficking drugs.
Didik was arrested after the authorities discovered a suitcase containing 16.3gm of methamphetamine, 50 ecstasy pills, 19 alprazolam tablets, two “Happy Five” pills and five grammes of ketamine during a raid at the private residence of a female police officer in Karawaci, Tangerang, on Feb 11.
The officer, identified as Second Adj Dianita Agustina, said the suitcase had been stored in her home at Didik’s request. Didik had previously been her superior at the Jakarta Police several years earlier.
Authorities suspect the drugs were for Didik’s personal use, as hair sample tests confirmed he had consumed illicit substances.
National Police spokesperson Johnny Eddizon Isir said Didik has been removed from his position and is being held by the Police Internal Affairs Division pending an ethics hearing scheduled for Thursday (Feb 18).
A separate criminal investigation has also been opened. Police have also detained Dianita and Didik’s wife as witnesses in the case.
“We ensure that no special treatment will be given to any police personnel or their family members,” Johnny said during a press conference on Sunday, as quoted by Kompas.com
He added that the police are committed to maintaining public trust and that any conduct damaging the institution’s reputation will be met with strict action. “There is no impunity for personnel involved in narcotics networks,” he said.
Didik has been charged under Article 609 of the Criminal Code and Article 62 of the 1997 Law on Psychotropics, both of which carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and fines of up to Rp2 billion.
The case against Didik began to unravel after authorities arrested a Bima police officer, identified only as Second Brig. IR, his wife AN, and two of their assistants on Jan 26 for alleged drug trafficking.
Police said the group was allegedly in possession of 35.6gm of methamphetamine and Rp88 million, suspected to be proceeds from drug transactions.
During questioning, it was reportedly revealed that the drugs were supplied by the head of the Bima Police’s narcotics unit, Adj Comr Malaungi.
Police subsequently raided Malaungi’s official residence, where they reportedly discovered 468gm of methamphetamine.
A urine test also confirmed he had consumed amphetamine and methamphetamine. Following an ethics hearing on Feb 9, Malaungi was dishonourably discharged from the police force. He was then arrested and formally named a suspect in the drug trafficking case.
During the investigation, Malaungi claimed that his involvement in drug trafficking began at Didik’s request. He also alleged that he had handed over Rp 1.8 billion in proceeds from drug sales to Didik.
This is not the first time members of the National Police have been implicated in drug trafficking.
In May 2023, former West Sumatra Police Chief Insp Gen Teddy Minahasa was sentenced to life in prison for trafficking five kilogrammes of methamphetamine that had originally been confiscated as criminal evidence.
He was found guilty of instructing his subordinates to swap the seized meth with potassium alum in a scheme to sell the illegal drugs.
In June of last year, the Batam District Court in Riau Islands province sentenced 10 former narcotics officers from the Barelang Police to life imprisonment for smuggling 44kg of methamphetamine from Malaysia to Indonesia.
The officers allegedly concealed nine kilogrammes of the drugs and conspired with a dealer to stage a fake raid to “seize” the remaining 35kg. The operation led to the arrest of three couriers and buyers, while the officers reportedly sold the nine kilogrammes of seized drugs to other dealers. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
