Jakarta – Drug trafficking and abuse in Jakarta are increasing at an alarming rate due to big supplies and easy access to it in the market, an expert said.
The police revealed that the number of drug cases shot up 44 per cent last year. The authorities are also seeing a drop in the number of drug addicts seeking treatment at drug rehabilitation centres which, ironically, is bad news.
"That's extremely alarming as it implies there is abundant supply of drugs in the market," said Mr Dadang Hawari Idries, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Indonesia. So long as the addicts have access to drugs and do not suffer withdrawals, they will not seek help at rehabilitation centres or hospitals, he added.
Jakarta Hospital for drug addicts reported declining trends in drug addicts seeking treatment from it between 1999 and 2001. Patient numbers were down from 9,714 to 4,108. Based on that data, Mr Dadang asserted, the number of drug abusers in Jakarta could stand at 10 times the reported cases.
In its year-end report, the police revealed that the number of drug cases had jumped significantly, up 44 per cent from 2001 to 2,642 cases last year.
"You can imagine that if every drug addict consumes one gram of heroin priced at Rp 100,000 [US$11] per day. What a massive amount of money was taken out from the economy," Mr Dadang remarked.
He blamed the abundant supplies of drugs on the market and the corrupt law enforcers. "It is an open secret that law enforcers, including police and judges, are not serious in quashing drug trafficking, they are even behind the drug trafficking.
"In some cases, we have witnessed that they too consume drugs," Mr Dadang said, referring to the recent death of a police officer from a drug overdose on New Year's Eve.
In a related development, two other officers were dismissed for being suspected of involvement in a "drug party" at the Athena discotheque on Jalan Kali Besar, West Jakarta, during New Year's Eve celebrations.
"No charges have been made against those officers so far. They must also be sent to court. Otherwise, they could roam freely to protect drug trafficking," said Mr Dadang.
Last year, four police were dismissed for their involvement in drug related cases, insignificant when compared to 63 other officers who were dismissed for other cases like polygamy and desertion.
Mr Dadang said law enforcers must first purge themselves of drugs if they are to fight drug trafficking.
Activist Veronica Colondam of foundation Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa said the war against drug abuse must involve everyone.
"No social strata of society is untouchable when it comes to drug abuse," she said.