This has assumed the form of extra ordinary crime ..."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan on Wednesday chaired another coordinating meeting here on maximizing the role of the Indonesia National Narcotic Agency (BNN).

Among those present at the meeting were Chief of the National Police Badrodin Haiti, BNN Chief Commissioner General Budi Waseso, Justice and Human Rights Minister Yasonnal Laoly and Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa.

Minister Luhut had recently said that the role of BNN needed to be strengthened because illicit drug crimes have been becoming more serious.

"This has assumed the form of extra ordinary crime, and (we need to discuss) how BNN and relevant ministers could handle drug addicts and check illicit drug traffickers," Luhut said on Nov. 24.

In the meantime, illicit drug abuse has been causing damages and losses worth Rp60 trillion annually in Indonesia, according to Chief of the National Police General Badrodin Haiti.

Intangible losses and damages caused by illicit drug abuse amounted to Rp60 trillion per year, Haiti had reported recently.

The losses were calculated based on the funds required to conduct rehabilitation programs and provide medication to drug addicts in addition to the money spent by the addicts to buy drugs.

The most serious threats being faced by Indonesia, since these have poisoned several young men, are radicalism and drug abuse.

"This condition will reduce the competitiveness of Indonesias human resources in the long term, and, of course, it will affect the nation," he emphasized.

Some 4.1 million Indonesians, or 2.2 percent of the countrys population, are drug users. Around 40-45 Indonesians die daily as a result of drug addiction.

BNN recently said the number of drug users in the country has been rising despite severe punishment.

The number has reached an alarming level, and currently the country has around 5.9 million drug users, the agency said.
(Uu.F001/INE/H-YH/KR-BSR/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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