BNN warns 133 areas in Jakarta vulnerable to drug trafficking

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Jakarta office of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) has warned that 133 areas in the metropolis remain susceptible to drug trafficking despite the government's seriousness in its war on drugs.

Some 26 of the 133 vulnerable areas have reached a “dangerous level,” while 107 others are placed in the “alert” category, said BNN-Jakarta Brigadier General Nurhadi Yuwono.

Yuwono, however, did not provide the names of areas in Jakarta that remain prone to drug trafficking activities, according to a press release issued here, Wednesday (June 27).

He said that if drug trafficking operations in Jakarta could not be foiled, the number of vulnerable areas in the metropolitan city would likely continue to increase due to the fact that they could be used by drug networks as an entry point.

To map the prevalence of drug abuse in Indonesia, BNN, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and Statistics Indonesia (BPS) conducted a joint survey in 2023.

The survey results showed that most of the respondents who had used or used drugs within a year were in urban rather than rural areas, he said.

The survey also found that the number of drug users, belonging to the age groups of 15 to 24 and 50 to 64, tended to increase compared to other age groups, Yuwono noted.

As previously noted, domestic and transnational drug traffickers view Indonesia as a potential market due to its large population and widespread drug use.

The value of the country's drug trade is estimated to have reached nearly 66 trillion rupees (about $4.2 billion), with the number of drug trafficking cases continuing to rise.

A joint survey conducted by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) in 2019 estimated the number of drug users in Indonesia at more than 3.4 million.

The survey conducted in 34 provinces indicated that about 180 out of 10,000 Indonesians aged 15 to 64 used drugs.

Those who use crystal methamphetamine, narcotics, marijuana and other addictive drugs can come from any community and any socio-economic and cultural background.

The latest drug case to attract public attention is related to Virgoun Tambunan Putra, a famous musician who was arrested along with a woman, identified as PA, for alleged drug abuse in his rented room in South Jakarta early on June 20.

West Jakarta Police announced earlier this week that the person who allegedly supplied crystal methamphetamine to Virgoun had been arrested.

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