The police personnel confiscated five sacks of marijuana from the detainee, Director of the Papua Police Criminal Investigation Department-Narcotics Division Sen. Coms. Alfian stated.
The PNG citizen named Gadafi Kuentaw Waropo, 18, was apprehended in Many Island of Jayapura Selatan Sub-district, Jayapura City, following the arrest of Beny Toway Waropo, 28.
Waropo concealed the marijuana packages at a place in proximity to his home in Many Island, Alfian revealed.
Meanwhile, Waropo was apprehended in the Kali Acai neighborhood of Abepura on Sunday evening (March 21), Alfian told ANTARA here on Monday.
During a raid at his house, the cops discovered 21 packs of marijuana and a 10-kg rice bag, Alfian remarked, adding that the marijuana packages were smuggled into Papua from PNG.
However, Alfian has yet to gain concrete information on whether the drug packages were smuggled by sea or land since the case is being investigated by the Papua police.
In fighting drug rings in communities, Alfian urged local residents to assist the police by giving tip-offs if they spotted suspected activities in their neighborhood areas.
Domestic and transnational drug dealers view Indonesia as a potential market on account of its vast population and millions of drug users.
Indonesia has been dragged into a state of emergency over narcotics trade and abuse. Drug trade in the nation is valued at nearly Rp66 trillion.
Data indicates that people from all societal levels are falling prey to drugs in the country irrespective of their socio-economic and professional backgrounds.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which struck the country on March 2, 2020, drug lords have continued to be a serious threat on account of rampant drug trafficking even amid the health crisis.
Since his first leadership term, President Joko Widodo has constantly reminded the people of the serious repercussions of drug consumption on Indonesia.
While inaugurating a grand mosque in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, on January 20, 2015, the head of state had cautioned that at least 50 people were dying of drug use daily.
The statistics included those who failed to get rehabilitated. According to the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), Indonesia had more than 3.3 million drug users in 2017.
The drug users belonged to the age group of 10-59 years, and the percentage of teenagers falling prey to drug addiction stood at 24-28 percent, according to the BNN.
Information on the agency's official website found that Indonesians in the age group of 15-35 years are at the highest risk of drug abuse.
In supporting their drug-trafficking networks in the country, drug lords are dragging not just people in their 30s into their drug rings but even those in their 20s.
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Close EDITED BY INE
Translator: Evarukdijati, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
