Drug crimes have even entered a phase of narcoterrorismJakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian parliament has urged the central government to step up the war against drugs, saying the country is in a state of emergency with regard to rampant drug-trafficking.
"Drug crimes have even entered a phase of narcoterrorism,” head of the House of Representatives' Commission III Overseeing Legal Affairs, Herman Hery said here on Thursday.
To deal with this “state of emergency”, Hery urged the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) head Petruse Golose to speak frankly to President Joko Widodo about the real situation.
"I suggest that the BNN head speak to Mr. President directly," he remarked at the commission's hearing session which had Golose and several BNN officers in attendance.
Hery insisted that the government seriously back BNN's law enforcement and prevention efforts to help win Indonesia’s collective war on drugs.
"If Mr. President can make special policies to revive the economy that has been hard hit by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, how about illicit drugs?" he asked.
The government must show its seriousness in combating drug abuse by not placing the BNN as a complement in the overall war on drug lords, he added.
At the hearing session, BNN head Golose said Indonesia is witnessing an upward trend in drug crimes, with 808.68 kg of drugs seized over the past three months.
The total weight of the drugs seized this year has reached 70.19 percent of the total weight of drugs the BNN confiscated during drug raid operations last year, he said.
"During 2020, the BNN seized 1,152.2 kg of drugs," he pointed out, adding that amid the COVID-19 pandemic, drug trade in Indonesia has seen a rise.
BNN officers have also seized 3,462.75 kg of marijuana in a series of raids conducted from January to March, 2021, he said.
The amount of the seized marijuana has increased 143.64 percent compared to January-March, 2020, when it was recorded at 2,410 kg, Golose informed.
He conjectured that the rise in the amount of seized drugs may have been triggered by an increasing demand from drug users.
"Maybe, the increasing demand has been triggered by the work-from-home policy. Many have got dragged into a situation of 'drug abuse from home'," he observed.
During the meeting with members of the House of Representatives' Commission III, Golose also appealed for support for upgrading the BNN's facilities.
Coronavirus disruptions have forced the agency to upgrade its facilities, including the ones related to information technology, laboratory, database, and intelligence capability, he explained.
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Translator: Imam B, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Sri Haryati
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