In debt to dealers, Magelang residents distribute methamphetamine across islands worth IDR 5 billion

Ongki W Saputra, a resident of Magelang City, distributes methamphetamine across regions, Java-Aceh. He has been doing this since 2015.

KOMPAS/REGINA RUKMORINI

The Central Java Regional Police Chief, Inspector General Ahmad Luthfi, questioned the dealer of cross-island-type narcotics, Jawa Aceh, Ongki Wijaya Saputra (38), at the Magelang City Police Station on Tuesday (21/5/2024).

MAGELANG, KOMPAS — Reasoning that he was in debt to a drug dealer, Ongki Wijaya Saputra (38) or OWS, a resident of Gelangan Village, Central Magelang District, Magelang City, Central Java, became trafficker of drugs across islands. In total, Ongki has distributed at least 25 kilograms of shabu.

Ongki's actions were finally stopped by the police on Friday (10/5/2024). Ongki's arrest was announced by the Chief of Central Java Regional Police, Inspector General Ahmad Luthfi, during a press conference at the Magelang City Police Headquarters on Tuesday (21/7/2024). The 25 kg of methamphetamine distributed by Ongki is worth approximately Rp 5 billion.

"He has distributed the methamphetamine to various places, and specifically in Central Java alone, the total amount of methamphetamine he has distributed this year has reached 25 kilograms," he said.

Ongki was arrested by the police at his house in Secang District, Magelang Regency, on Friday. At the time, he was also consuming crystal meth. Along with his arrest, the police also confiscated a number of evidence, including 2.554 kg of crystal meth and various types of plastic, used as packaging for the crystal meth when being circulated.

Also read: North Sumatra Drug Entrance, 419 Kilograms of Shabu Confiscated

KOMPAS/REGINA RUKMORINI

Central Java Regional Police Chief Inspector General Ahmad Luthfi lifted a plastic bag containing evidence of 2.5 kg of crystal methamphetamine, Tuesday (21/5/2024).

The 2,554 kg of confiscated crystal methamphetamine is a residual amount from the last supply taken by the suspect from the drug dealer, which amounted to 3 kg. Prior to this, around 1.5 kg of crystal methamphetamine had been distributed to users, following the dealer's instructions.

The suspect admitted that so far he had not met the dealer who was his leader in drug trafficking. They work with a disconnected network system.

"This is what then becomes a major task for us to continue investigating, probing the series of methamphetamine circulation activities up to the network in Aceh," said Luthfi.

For his actions, the suspect is charged under Article 114 Paragraph 2 or Article 112 Paragraph 2 of Law No. 35 of 2009 on Narcotics. He faces a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Interim Chief of the Narcotics Investigation Unit of the Magelang City Police (Polresta), Adjunct Commissioner Edi Sukamto Nyoto, stated that despite being a drug dealer since 2015, the suspect did not engage in drug trafficking continuously. He had stopped dealing drugs in 2018 but resumed the activity shortly thereafter.

The suspect admitted to not meeting the drug dealer who was the leader of the drug trafficking network. They worked with a broken network system.

In his confession, the suspect expressed a desire to stop being involved in the drug trade. However, he is unable to do so because he has debts that need to be paid to the dealer.

"The payment for his services as a courier was also never received in full by the suspect because part of it had been deducted to pay off debts," said Edi.

The suspect owes approximately Rp 200 million to a drug dealer. The debt arose because the perpetrator had previously lost 1 kg of new crystal meth that should have been distributed to customers or drug users.

KOMPAS/REGINA RUKMORINI

Central Java Regional Police Chief Inspector General Ahmad Luthfi led the release of a crystal methamphetamine drug case at the Magelang Police, Tuesday (21/5/2024).

Each time the suspect takes methamphetamine, the supposed payment they should receive is around IDR 10 million. However, due to their debt obligation, the suspect admits to only receiving IDR 1 million or IDR 2 million.

Initially, the suspect was a drug dealer who usually made transactions with small amounts. Not long after, he was introduced by one of his colleagues to another person who turned out to be a drug lord.

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Regarding this matter, the perpetrators usually move around to distribute methamphetamine. "The suspect has even distributed methamphetamine as far as East Java," said Edi.

Ongki, when met, admitted to also working on construction projects owned by a state-owned enterprise (BUMN). He wants to stop circulating drugs, but he reasoned that he still had to do the activity because he had to pay off his debts to the dealer.