Police in Jakarta apprehended actress Nia Ramadhani and her husband Ardi Bakrie in Jakarta last night for alleged drug use.
“I can confirm that NR and AB [were apprehended], we are now questioning them at the Central Jakarta sub-precinct,” Jakarta Metro Police spokesman Yusri Yunus said today, using the couple’s initials.
Authorities found crystal meth, locally known as shabu, at the scene of the arrest, though they have yet to specify the amount found.
Police outlined details about the arrest at a press conference this afternoon. According to Jakarta Metro Police spokesman Yusri Yunus, Nia was first arrested with her driver, ZN, at an undisclosed location in Pondok Pinang, South Jakarta. Police first found 0.78 grams of meth and a bong on ZN, which was determined to belong to Nia.
To the police, Nia confessed to have frequently used the substance with her husband Ardi. Later in the evening, Ardi turned himself in the police. Nia, Ardi, and ZN all tested positive for meth use.
Nia and Ardi were charged with narcotics abuse under the Narcotics Law, which is punishable by drug rehabilitation, as is the case with most celebrity narcotics busts, or up to four years in prison.
Both Nia and Ardi became trending topics on Twitter following news of their arrests.
Nia, 31, was one of the country’s biggest sinetron (Indonesian soap opera) stars but has largely given up acting after marrying Ardi, 42, the son of politician and media tycoon Aburizal Bakrie, in 2010. Since then, Nia has become one of the country’s most renowned socialites, with intense and constant media coverage on her lavish lifestyle and activities.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include information from the press conference.
