0 BNN Discovers ‘2-3 Hectares’ of Khat Drug in Bogor

The crop behind a recreational drug for which a celebrity was recently arrested has been found growing in abundance in the highland region of Cisarua in Bogor, anti-narcotics officials have revealed. Benny Mamoto, the deputy for eradication at the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), said on Saturday that a team from his agency and the West Java Police had found “two to three hectares” of khat fields in the area. He said it was believed that the original plant was brought there in 2005 by a visitor from Yemen, and it was now widely cultivated by local farmers. 

The plant, which is traditionally chewed, contains the amphetamine-like stimulant cathinone, one of whose derivatives is methylone. On Friday, the BNN charged Raffi Ahmad, a television presenter arrested during a bust at his home in South Jakarta last Sunday, for possession of methylone and marijuana. Benny said the farmers in Cisarua were not aware that cathinone was an illegal substance, and had been growing it to make a living. Insp. Gen. Anis Angkawijaya, the West Java Police chief, said separately that his office had been tipped off about the khat fields after receiving information that Middle Eastern tourists to the area were often seen chewing some kind of leaf. 

“We first got the information on Friday, and when we sent a sample of the plant back to the BNN lab, it turned out to contain cathinone, which is classified as a category I psychotropic stimulant,” he said. He added that police would not charge any of the farmers with growing the plant because they were believed to be ignorant about the fact that it contained an illegal substance. “All we can do at this point is destroy the plants,” Anis said. He added that the dried khat leaves were typically sold in the area to Middle Easterners for around Rp 50,000 ($5.15) for an envelope. 

Methylone, a relatively new drug, has captured headlines since Raffi’s arrest in the BNN raid, which also netted three other celebrities who were later released. Raffi has been charged with drug possession, which could see him face four to 12 years in prison if convicted. In addition to the TV presenter, six other people arrested at his home face charges of consuming methylone and marijuana. Unlike the possession charge, however, the consumption charge calls for them to undergo rehabilitation rather than jail time. An eighth individual, who tested negative for drug use, is being charged with failing to notify authorities about known drug activity — an offense that carries a maximum prison sentence of one year. 

Seventeen people were initially arrested in the bust, including Irwansyah, an actor, and his wife, Zaskia Sungkar, an actress. They were released a day later along with five others after being cleared of drug use. A fourth celebrity caught up in the case was Wanda Hamidah, a former actress and current Jakarta city councilor, who was released on Wednesday after also testing negative for drug use. Upon her release, she was appointed an anti-narcotics ambassador by the BNN. Besides the celebrity aspect of the case, the incident also sparked national debate due to the relative newness of methylone on the Indonesian drug scene. While cathinone is prohibited under the 2009 Anti-Narcotics Law, the law makes no provisions for derivatives in general. However, the BNN insists it has grounds to pursue methylone possession charges against Raffi.

source : the jakarta post