Jakarta. Indonesian actor Ammar Zoni, who is serving a prison sentence for multiple drug offenses, was transferred on Thursday from Cipinang Prison in Jakarta to the maximum-security Nusakambangan facility in Central Java after being deemed a high-risk inmate, authorities said.

Ammar was moved alongside five other prisoners considered to pose similar risks to prison security. The transfer took place in the morning under tight supervision, according to officials from the Directorate General of Corrections.

The 33-year-old actor has been convicted several times for using marijuana and other illegal substances, but officials said he showed no signs of rehabilitation. His latest case allegedly involved participation in a drug distribution network operating from inside prison.

Earlier this week, another 41 high-risk inmates from various detention centers were also transferred to Nusakambangan -- an island prison complex near Cilacap, Central Java, known for housing some of Indonesia’s most dangerous criminals.

Nusakambangan Island, often referred to as Indonesia’s Alcatraz, hosts several of the country’s most secure penitentiaries. The complex includes five modern maximum-security facilities, housing terrorism convicts, drug traffickers, and death row inmates. Due to its remote location and restricted access, the island is widely used for isolating high-profile or high-risk prisoners to prevent communication with criminal networks on the mainland.

Under Immigration and Corrections Minister Agus Andrianto, more than 1,500 high-risk inmates have been relocated to Nusakambangan over the past year as part of a government effort to curb narcotics trafficking and prevent security breaches in regular prisons.

“The relocation policy is designed to keep prisons free from drug distribution and security threats,” said Rika Aprianti, a senior official at the corrections directorate. "It also gives inmates a chance to reform, reflect on their actions, and reintegrate as law-abiding citizens once they return to society,” she told Antara News Agency.

Ammar’s criminal record includes four separate drug-related convictions since 2017. He was first arrested in Depok with 39.1 grams of marijuana and sentenced to one year in prison and rehabilitation.

In 2023, he was arrested twice more for drug use and handed a four-year sentence by the Central Jakarta District Court. Despite his incarceration, police later accused him of running a narcotics network from inside Salemba Prison using a mobile phone app.

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