I have to remind (you) that drug abuse is a victimless crime
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Narcotics Agency has sought more involvement of the integrated assessment team in the revision of the Narcotics Law to provide legal certainty related to cases involving narcotics users.

"To conduct rehabilitation, of course there is a condition (issued by) the integrated assessment team. There are seven ministries and institutions that collectively determine whether (a case) is (goes as proceedings) as per criminal justice system process or (offer) rehabilitation (instead)," the head of the National Narcotics Agency, Petrus Reinhard Golose, said in a statement at the agency's office in North Jakarta on Thursday.

The seven ministries and institutions involved in the integrated assessment team are the National Narcotics Agency, the Law and Human Rights Ministry, the Health Ministry, the Social Affairs Ministry, the Attorney General's Office, police force, and the Supreme Court.

Golose stated that rehabilitation for narcotics users must include proper supervision, because drug abuse was a victimless crime, as it leaves no victim other than the user.

"I have to remind (you) that drug abuse is a victimless crime. (The user) is a victim, (the user) is also the perpetrator. For (the drug lords) and dealers, there is no tolerance," he remarked.

Golose also said that the Government and the agency shared the same concerns regarding the revision of the Law on Narcotics, that was to reduce the number of inmates which have exceeded the capacity of correctional institutions.

Should all criminals be gathered in one place --be it petty crimes, corruption, terrorism, and more-- they would all still be outnumbered by the amount of perpetrators of drug-related crimes, he pointed out.

"Currently, In correctional facilities, (they make up) more than 70 percent in large areas, urban areas. (In case of) small areas, 50 percent of (incarcerated were made up of) perpetrators of narcotics crimes," he said.

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Translator: Putu Indah S, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
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