Jakarta (ANTARA) - Prosecutors at the South Jakarta District Court have sought a six-year prison sentence and a Rp800 million (around US$48,866) fine for Fariz Roestam Munaf, a prominent Indonesian singer, musician, and songwriter.
Indah Puspitarani, a prosecutor from the South Jakarta Prosecutor's Office, stated during a court session on Monday that the defendant had evidently abused crystal methamphetamine and marijuana.
Therefore, the judges should impose a six-year prison sentence and a Rp800 million fine on Fariz RM, as he clearly violated Articles 111(1), 112(1), and 114(1) of Narcotics Law No. 35 of 2009.
The defendant has also been repeatedly involved in drug cases in 2008, 2014, 2018, and 2025. Fariz RM was arrested in the Dipati Ukur neighborhood of Lebak Gede, Coblong, Bandung, on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, for allegedly purchasing illicit drugs from an individual identified only as ADK.
The West Java police named both as suspects in drug-related offenses and confiscated both marijuana and crystal methamphetamine from Fariz RM.
As reported earlier, over the past five years, several Indonesian entertainers, including Fariz RM, have been apprehended by the police and put on trial for drug offenses.
These include Ammar Zoni, Rio Reifan, Roro Fitria, Fachri Albar, Jennifer Dunn, Steve Emmanuel, Zul Zivilia, Jefri Nichol, Tri Retno Prayudati alias Nunung Srimulat, Nanie Darham, and Lucinta Luna.
Drug dealers in Indonesia have deliberately targeted figures in the entertainment industry as a key market, partly due to their financial means and lifestyle.
The involvement of celebrities in drug offenses poses a real and serious threat to the nation’s war on drugs, as their popularity and influence can affect public perception.
In addition, Indonesia remains a key target for international drug syndicates due to its large population and growing number of drug users.
According to the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), the number of drug addicts in Indonesia has reached 3.3 million, while the economic impact of drug smuggling is estimated at Rp500 trillion.
