"Hundreds of small, uninhabited islands can potentially become a transit point for drug trafficking," Babel Governor Erzaldi Rosman Djohan stated here on Tuesday.
Djohan noted that Bangka Belitung is an archipelagic province with two large islands -- Bangka and Belitung Islands -- as well as 490 small islands. Of the total number of small islands, 50 are inhabited, while 440 islands are uninhabited.
Furthermore, Babel has several illegal ports oftentimes used by drug dealers to circulate illegal goods in the community.
"We need to bear in mind that as an archipelago, Bangka Belitung has numerous small ports, for which precautionary measures and innovation are deemed necessary to suppress drug trafficking through these small ports," he stated.
Djohan emphasized that the local government must work alongside the regional police and community to fight the trafficking of illicit drugs.
The Babel Islands Police head stated that Babel was one of the transit areas for drug trafficking in Indonesia.
"We must be well aware that this is not a figment. Babel has become one of the transit places, and there are also several drug users here. We must not despair. Be sure that there are weak points to every crime," he stated.
Djohan urged the community to help fight the crimes and make the province free from drugs.
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Translator: Aprionis, Fardah
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
