Capital punishment is part of the laws that should be imposedJakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's National Narcotics Agency (BNN) destroyed 1.3 tons of marijuana, 86.95 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, 68.24 grams of heroin, and 35,582 ecstasy pills in the yard of its headquarters in East Jakarta on Tuesday.
The illicit drugs were confiscated during drug raid operations at 12 different locations, BNN Eradication Division Deputy Inspector General Arman Depari revealed.
Apart from seizing the drug packages, BNN officers also apprehended 37 suspects, Depari stated.
In the face of the ongoing grave threats posed by drug lords, on Dec 5, 2019, BNN Chief Commissioner General Heru Winarko had held discussions with Security Minister Mahfud MD on matters pertaining to Indonesia's war on drugs, including the need to execute death row convicts.
"Capital punishment is part of the laws that should be imposed," Winarko emphasized following his meeting with the coordinating minister for political, legal, and security affairs.
In fact, several death row prisoners had yet to face execution for drug-related offences. Apart from this issue, he also deliberated on several other matters, including drugs in prison.
He believes that the easiest way to deal with cases of drugs in prison was to stall communication networks inside penitentiaries to halt drug transactions.
Depari conceded to the fact that drug trade in prisons was a persistent, questionable problem.
In fact, drug convicts serving their jail terms were able to control the trade through their drug rings, he noted, adding that several on death row, convicted of drug offences, had yet to be executed.
Indonesia remains under grave threat from drug dealers, as several individuals from its working-age population have been embroiled in a vicious circle.
According to BNN's report, some 50 drug use-related deaths occur in Indonesia. However, their deaths have failed to deter other drug users in the country from consuming these banned substances.
Users of crystal methamphetamine, narcotics, marijuana, and other addictive drugs transcend communities and socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.
Hence, Indonesia is perceived by both domestic and transnational drug dealers as a potential market due to its huge population and millions of drug users. The drug trade in the country is estimated to reach nearly Rp66 trillion.
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Translator: Fathur R, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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