Jakarta (ANTARA) - Head of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Petrus Reinhard Golose has revealed that his agency seized 115.1 tons of marijuana, 3.3 tons of crystal methamphetamine, 191,575 ecstasy pills, and 50.5 hectares of marijuana plantations in 2021.

The confiscated items were evidence against the 85 drug syndicate networks, both national and international, uncovered by BNN in 2021, he said at a press conference here on Wednesday.

"The most exposed international drug syndicate networks come from the Golden Triangle and the Golden Crescent," Golose informed.

BNN successfully uncovered 760 drug crimes and arrested 1,109 suspects from the networks, he said. BNN also succeeded in uncovering money laundering (ML) cases connected to the drug crimes, he added.

"From the uncovered 14 money laundering cases and 16 suspects, BNN has confiscated ML evidence in the form of assets and Rp108.3 billion cash," he informed.

Related news: BNN destroys 794.62 kg of crystal meth, 19,675 ecstasy pills

Those actions taken by BNN were part of the implementation of the hard-power approach or an approach that focuses on eradication measures, he explained.

To maximize that strategy, the agency also conducted joint operations with several state institutions for eradicating drug abuse, he said.

"This is a form of synergy for eradicating drug abuse with all ministries and agencies, as well as related institutions, which has been done 199 times," Golose added.

At the press conference, BNN also displayed 163.8 kg of crystal methamphetamine seized during BNN's monitoring and operations. The drugs were seized from the Golden Triangle drug syndicate network and the Madura-Jakarta national network, Golose said.

"This is not a Christmas gift, but the result of the operations conducted at the end of the year, which also involved all relevant ministries and agencies," the BNN head remarked.

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Translator: Putu Indah, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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