Ondonesia, China Agree to Step up Cooperation in Combating Drugs

Jakarta, (Antara) - The Indonesian National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the Chinese National Narcotics Control Commission (NNCC) have agreed to step up cooperation in combating drug trafficking.

"Formally, cooperation between Indonesia and China in combating drug trafficking has been on since March 2012," Chief of the BNN's Public Relations Services, Senior Commissioner Slamet Pribadi, said here on Tuesday.

Through such cooperation, both BNN and NNCC have been exchanging information regarding drug crimes and have assisted each other in fighting against drug trafficking, he said.

The cooperation focused on combating drug trafficking involving drug syndicates in the two nations, he said.

"China will also work to prevent any attempt to smuggle raw material for the production of narcotics (precursor) and narcotics to Indonesia," he said.

China is one of the countries from which drugs are supplied in Indonesia.

Narcotic crime is a transnational crime and such international cooperation with China is badly needed, he said.

"Indonesia now plans to send its delegation to China to ensure that cooperation in sharing intelligence also runs optimally," he said.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has stated that Indonesia is in a state of emergency over drugs, with nearly 40-50 Indonesians dying  every day due to drug consumption.(*)