Eight suspects have been held over the circulation of the drug.
The first victim, a 14 year-old student, died in hospital on Wednesday. On Thursday, a 20-year-old man died after jumping into the sea having consumed the PCC drug.
National Narcotics Agency (BNN) spokesperson Sr. Comr. Sulistiandriatmoko on Thursday in Jakarta explained that the circulation of the drug bearing the letters PCC (paracetamol, caffeine, carisoprodol) in Kendari will be investigated by the BNN, the Southeast Sulawesi provincial BNN (BNNP) and the Kendari city BNN (BNNK).
At the moment, the Narcotics Laboratory Center of the BNN, BNNP and BNNK are coordinating with the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) and the Kendari Food and Drug Monitoring (POM) Center to examine the content of the PCC drug.
Health Minister Nila Moeloek hopes that BNN can quickly identify the content of the drug that has caused dozens of children and teenagers to be rushed to hospital, and class the drug in the addictive substance category.
According to the information from Kendari, the victims are currently being treated at a number of hospitals, including the Kendari Mental Hospital (46 people), Bhayangkara Kendari Hospital (4), Abunawa Hospital (3), Ismoyo Hospital (3) and Dewi Sartika Hospital (1).
“There are 57 victims being treated in hospital. One victim died at Bhayangkara Hospital, a junior high school student. Another victim was found this morning in the sea. According to the testimony of family and witnesses, the victim threw himself into the sea under the influence of the PCC drug,” Kendari Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Jemy Junaidi said.
The suspects
Southeast Sulawesi Police spokesperson Adj. Sr. Comr. Sunarto said eight suspects had been arrested over the circulation and abuse of the drug. The suspects include a pharmacist, an assistant pharmacist and a housewife initialed ST, 39.
From ST, the police have managed to confiscate evidence in the form of 2,631 PCC pills, 2,800 pieces of plastic clips, Rp 735,000 in cash and eight medicine jars. ST was arrested in Watu-Watu subdistrict, Kemaraya district, Kendari city, in the early morning ofThursday.
“The two suspects are being handled by the Southeast Sulawesi Police with evidence of 1,112 pills of tramadol. At the Kendari Police (headquarters), there are three suspects with 2,651 PCC pills and other drugs. At Konawe Police, there is one suspect and at Kolaka Police, two suspects with 1,449 pills of somadril,” Sunarto said.
The Southeast Sulawesi Police is working with the Southeast Sulawesi BNNP, the BNN of a number of regencies and health agencies and the Kendari POM centers to form a team and post to follow up on this case.
“The post will also serve complaints or offer explanations to the public related to illegal drugs. So far, what we know is that the PCC drugs are usually used as pain relievers,” said Southeast Sulawesi BNNP spokesperson Adisak Ray.
It is understood that the drug was sold at Rp 25,000-Rp 40,000 for a pack containing 25 pills. Another source of information claimed that the drugs were given away for free.
Khaerul Maduppa, a relative of one of the victims, said his nephew got the drug from a friend.
“According to my nephew, two days ago, when he went home from school at around 4:00 p.m., his friend came with the drugs. One pack contained 25 pills, they consumed it together. After consuming the drug, my nephew was like a crazy person. He stayed silent and then talked to himself and hallucinated. I took him to the Kendari Mental Hospital. It turned out there were many similar victims there,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Banyuman Police Drug Unit has arrested seven traffickers of psychotropic and hard drugs in Purwokerto, Banyumas, Central Java.
As many as 4,852 psychotropic pills have been confiscated, including alprazolam, merlopam and tramadol HCI. Furthermore, eight cell phones, five motorbikes and Rp 2,630,900 in cash.
According to Banyumas Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Aziz Andriansyah on Thursday, in Purwokerto, the seven suspects are EP (18), DJ (20), IB (27), NF (29), DW (35), OR (24) and IH (25). They were arrested on Sept. 9-10 at different places in Purwokerto.
Doubted
Psychiatrist and addiction consultant Danardi Sosrosumihardjo is not sure whether the pills with the letters PCC printed on them are in fact real PCC pills.
“PCC is not allowed in by the POM agency. From looking at the change of behavior that I have seen in the footage of the cases in Kendari, I am not sure that those are really PCC pills,” he said in Jakarta on Thursday
Mega Lidwina, an accompanying psychiatrist to drug user, explained that PCC contains paracetamol, caffeine and carisoprodol. The function of which is to relieve pain, lower fever and relax the muscles.
“The trademark used to be Somadril, but Somadril has been removed from circulation. Carisoprodol is still in circulation illegally. But it is not yet clear what is put into the PCC. Because nowadays everything is combined into one,” he said.
The abusers of PCC or other anti-depressant drugs crave for the feeling of calm and lightness. “The feeling of being light or flying can lead to the act of hurting oneself or suicide,” Mega said.
Mega said the types of bootleg drugs in Indonesia continue to be updated and developed.
“What is dangerous is that hard drugs are now sold online,” Mega said.
She gave the example of the expanding market for the Xanax brand alprazolam among teenagers in Central Java and Yogyakarta.
(REN/DKA/ADH/WAD/WIN)
