May they soon be executed by firing squads to deter others
Padang, W Sumatra (ANTARA) - West Sumatra police destroyed 164 kilograms of dried marijuana and 15 kg cathinone or benzoylethanamine-containing drug packages that local police officers recently seized from drug offenders during several drug raid operations in the province.

This evidence of drug crimes, destroyed in Padang on Thursday, comprised 106 kg of dried cannabis and 15 kg of cathinone that the West Sumatra police confiscated and 58 kg of dried marijuana that the Pasaman police precinct seized from its recent drug raid.

West Sumatra Police Chief Inspector General Toni Harmanto noted that by destroying the drug packages, some 100 thousand Indonesians could have been saved from drug addiction.

In preventing the spread of illicit drugs among people in the province, the police are striving to disrupt the illicit drug supply chain, West Sumatra Police's Narcotics Investigation Director Sen. Coms. Wahyu Sri Bintoro stated.

Apart from launching mapping, surveillance, and law enforcement operations, the police also appeal to community members to support the war on drugs by reporting those suspected of involvement in drug crimes, he remarked.

Indonesia remains under grave threat from drug dealers, who view the country as a potential market. The value of drug trade in Indonesia is estimated to be at least Rp66 trillion.

Users of crystal methamphetamine, narcotics, marijuana, and other types of addictive drugs transcend communities and socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.

The Indonesian government has taken harsh punitive action against drug kingpins found smuggling and trading drugs in the country over the past few decades.

National Police Chief, General Idham Azis recently stated that district courts in different parts of Indonesia had awarded capital punishment to at least 100 drug offenders in the first half of this year.

"May they soon be executed by firing squads to deter others," he stressed while witnessing the National Police special task force destroy 1.2 tons of crystal meth, 35 thousand ecstasy pills, and 410 kg of marijuana in Jakarta on July 2, 2020.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has also issued shoot-at-sight orders against drug kingpins.

However, this has failed to deter drug traffickers, who have continued to treat Indonesia as one of their main markets, prompting Indonesian law enforcers to step up vigil against them.

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Translator: Mario SN, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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