"International cooperation is among our strategies, and we have exerted our effort through collaboration with the Myanmar authority, yet we all understand that the country is currently engulfed in political instability," Commissioner General Petrus Reinhard Golose said at a press conference in Bogor, West Java, on Tuesday.
The Golden Triangle refers to a broad area surrounding regions where the borders of Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos meet, and is known as a major producer of various types of drugs in Southeast Asia, he said.
Golose revealed that the agency had earlier confiscated 121.52 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine during three separate raids, two in Aceh and one in Central Kalimantan.
As most of the confiscated drugs were wrapped in Chinese tea packaging, the agency suspects they were delivered by drug syndicates operating within the Golden Triangle zone, he said.
Related news: Drug trafficking rising in Indonesia due to Myanmar conflict: BNN
"Of the existing packaging, we suspect that the drugs were delivered from the Golden Triangle region. Observing characteristics of the package, they may originate from Myanmar," Golose noted.
The BNN head said that the agency has repeatedly foiled attempts to smuggle drugs by syndicates operating out of the Golden Triangle region, and several measures, such as tightening of monitoring at entry points and engaging in international cooperation, have been taken.
The military coup in Myanmar last year and the ensuing political instability have led to a surge in production and distribution of drugs from Myanmar, he added.
Related news: Over 118 tons of drugs seized in 2021: BNN
Translator: Putu Indah S, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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