A suspected drug dealer in Baturaja, the capital of Ogan Komering Ulu (OKU) District in South Sumatera Province was shot by local cops after trying to evade capture, according to a police spokesperson.

The suspect, only identified by his initials AP (38), suffered a gunshot wound on his leg, OKU Police Spokesman Adjunct Commissioner Mardi Nursal said in a statement that ANTARA quoted here Sunday.

AP was arrested in Baturaja City on Friday (February 11, 2022), for having allegedly traded crystal methamphetamine, Nursal said.

The local cops seized four tiny packets of crystal meth weighing 1.72 grams from the suspect who resides in Sri Bunga Village, BP Bangsa Raja Sub-district, Ogan Komering Ulu District, he said.

The police officers also confiscated a motorcycle and a home-made gun with two bullets from AP, he added.

The suspect is undergoing further investigation at the Ogan Komering Ulu police precinct.

Indonesia remains under serious threat from domestic and transnational drug dealers, who consider it a potential market due to its huge population and millions of drug users.

Despite the ongoing spread of the novel coronavirus disease, which has prompted mobility restrictions and border closures by countries for curbing transmission, the trafficking of drugs has continued unabated.

On January 29, 2022, for instance, police officers in Mesuji district, Lampung province, arrested three suspected drug couriers with 15 kg of crystal meth on the Trans Sumatra toll road.

According to the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), at least 50 Indonesians die of drug use every day. However, the statistic has failed to deter drug users in the country.

Users of crystal methamphetamine, narcotics, marijuana, and other types of addictive drugs come from any community and distinct socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. The drug trade in the country is estimated to have reached nearly Rp66 trillion.

The Indonesian government has continued to apply harsh punitive action against kingpins found smuggling and trading drugs over the past few decades.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has also issued shoot-at-sight orders against drug kingpins.

However, this has failed to discourage drug traffickers, and they have continued to treat Indonesia as one of their main markets even as Indonesian law enforcers have kept the fight going against them.

Source: Antara News