TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian legendary musician Fariz Rustam Munaf or Fariz RM has been arrested by the police again for alleged drug abuse. This case marks the fourth time the singer of the song 'Sakura' has dealt with law enforcement over illegal drugs. Fariz was detained by the South Jakarta Police Drug Investigation Unit on Wednesday, February 19, 2025.
The Head of the Public Relations Section of the South Jakarta Police, Police Commissioner Nurma Dewi, confirmed the arrest. She stated that Fariz is still under investigation. "Yes, it's drugs," Nurma said when confirmed by Tempo on Wednesday, February 19, 2025.
However, Nurma did not provide details about the chronology of the arrest or the evidence seized by the police. Up to now, she mentioned that the investigators are still carrying out examinations and deepening the case involving Fariz.
Prior to this, Fariz RM has been arrested by the police three times for alleged drug abuse. The 66-year-old musician was first involved in a drug case in 2007. At the time, the man well-known for the song 'Panggung Perak' was arrested by the police in a raid in the Radio Dalam area, South Jakarta, on Sunday, October 28, 2007.
He was found in possession of 1.5 rolls of marijuana weighing 5 grams stored in a cigarette pack. The judges at the South Jakarta District Court then sentenced Fariz RM to 8 months in prison with a reduction of the sentence on October 10, 2008. The remainder of Fariz's sentence was served at the Melia Cibubur Hospital for rehabilitation.
Fariz's second drug case was when the musician had just celebrated his 56th birthday in 2015. A day after his birthday, the singer born on January 5, 1959, was arrested by the South Jakarta Metro Police Drug Investigation Unit for using drugs alone.
"He was alone. Not with anyone else," said the Head of the South Jakarta Metro Police Drug Investigation Unit, Grand Commissioner Hando Wibowo, on Tuesday, January 6, 2015.
Upon the arrest, the police found several drug packages such as marijuana and heroin as well as the paraphernalia for using them. Fariz admitted to possessing the illegal items. As a result, the South Jakarta Police sent Fariz to a narcotics dependency rehabilitation center in the Lebak Bulus area.
The spokesperson for the Jakarta Metropolitan Police, Grand Commissioner Martinus Sitompul, stated that the doctors were concerned about Fariz's condition, which could lead to dangerous behavior due to the dependency. "Because it is suspected that he may inflict violence on himself."
Three years later, the North Jakarta Police Drug Investigation Unit arrested Fariz RM in the Pondok Aren area, South Tangerang, on Friday morning, August 24, 2018. The evidence found at the arrest location included two packages of crystal meth in plastic clips, nine alprazolam pills, two demerol pills, and a crystal meth inhalation device or bong.
This latest arrest of Fariz RM is a development from the arrest of drug dealer suspects with the initials DN, a 37-year-old woman, and AH, a 45-year-old man. The police arrested both of them on the same day, Friday, in the Koja area of North Jakarta. The Panel of Judges at the North Jakarta District Court then sent Fariz to the BNN Rehabilitation Center in Lido, Bogor for one year.
On February 19, 2025, Fariz once again faced the police over the same case. He was arrested by the South Jakarta Police Drug Investigation Unit for alleged drug abuse.
Alif Ilham Fajriadi | Adam Prireza contributed to the writing of this article.
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