"We will build an Anti-Drug Task Force at the village, and all village officials will be required to join urine tests," Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions Yandri Susanto noted in a statement on Wednesday.
The minister made the statement during the launch of the Desa Bersinar Menuju Garut Tangguh Bersinar in Sancang Village, Garut District, West Java.
According to Susanto, all villages must be protected from drug abuse, as they are one of the main focuses of development.
The minister remarked that this initiative aligns with President Prabowo Subianto's Astacita, specifically point six, which states "building from the village and from the bottom up for economic equality and poverty eradication."
"In the sixth Astacita, we are not only building physical resources but also human resources," Susanto noted.
He affirmed his ministry's ongoing commitment to combating drugs down to the village level. His ministry has established cooperation with the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the National Police Headquarters' Security Maintenance Agency (Baharkam) to visit villages and declare a war on drugs.
He noted that President Prabowo has categorized drugs as an extraordinary crime, alongside corruption and terrorism.
Therefore, he invited village communities to participate in positive activities by contributing to the success of government programs in their villages.
Sancang Village was chosen as the pilot project for this program due to its strategic location on the southern coast of Garut and directly bordering Tasikmalaya District.
Covering an area of 5,234.49 hectares, with a 12.76-kilometer coastline and a population of 7,170, the village is known as a route vulnerable to narcotics smuggling.
In addition, BNN head, Commissioner General Marthinus Hukom, warned that drug distribution is no longer limited to urban areas but has also spread to villages.
The agency reports that the number of drug addicts in Indonesia has reached 3.3 million, or approximately 1.7 percent of the total population.
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Translator: Tri Meilani A, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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