Jakarta’s surprisingly wild nightlife scene became far less lawless during the tenure of former Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, who shut down two of the capital’s most notorious nightclubs, Milles and the legendary Stadium, both times after police officers were found on the premises with narcotics (in the case of Stadium, the officer had died of an apparent overdose).
Since Ahok was jailed in May for blasphemy, none of the capital’s shadier nightclubs have been shuttered, but the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) has issued formal warnings to four popular venues that they would be forcibly closed if drugs were ever found within their premises again.
“This year we have already given strong warning to four venues. It means that drugs have been found in their premises before, and if they are found one more time, they must be closed,” Jakarta BNN head Johny Latupeirissa said yesterday as quoted by Kompas.
According to Johny, the four nightclubs that have been issued warning this year are Fashion, Diamond, Classic and the appropriately named Illigals
A police raid at Illigals in May led to the arrest of several people and the seizure of 1,000 ecstasy pills, 470 Happy 5 pills, around 500 half-gram packets of meth, and two bongs.
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