Police Surround drug Village, Arrest Suspects In Samarinda

Samarinda, E Kalimantan (ANTARA News) - Five people have been arrested in a big raid launched jointly by police, the military and the National Narcotic Agency (BNN) in a `narcotic village` in Samarinda, East Kalimantan.

The raid on Saturday involved 300 members of police, military and BNN in a bid to clean the village from illicit trade, chief of the operation division of the Samarinda police Commissioner Dandy Ario said.

Everyone of the villagers was searched and their urine was tested, Dandy said.

Police also searched houses and found several packages of narcotics, inhalers, hand phones and sharp weapons.

After the search and investigations, police then declared five of the villagers suspects including two traffickers, two couriers and one user.

Dandy said the place was called narcotic village for its notoriety in drug traffic, adding most narcotics suspects in Samarinda came from that place.

On Sunday in the island of Rupat, Bengkalis, Riau, anti narcotic police squad shot and wounded a drug croupier identified as UW (39).

UW, believed to be member of an international drug syndicate based in Malaysia was shot on his feet and back as he resisted arrest.

UW is now facing investigation by police after being given medical treatment at a local hospital in Bengkalis.

Police confiscated methamphetamine worth hundreds of millions of rupiah on the street and cash Rp100 million from UW.

Meanwhile, the central executive board of the National Democrat (Nasdem) Party threatened to dismiss one of its cadres in Maluku Utara Province arrested by police found consuming drug.

Muhammad Yoisangaji, a member of the district council and three other members of the council were caught red handed by the BNN enjoying drugs in a house.(*)