Jokowi Passes Strong Order to get Tougher on Drug Crime

Yogyakarta, August 1 (Antara) - President Joko Widodo has passed strong order to get tougher on drug crimes pointing to growing varieties of narcotics entering the country.

"I have passed orders to the police chief  and head of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) to be firm on drug crimes," Jokowi said when he launched Rubella Measles Immunization Campaigns here on Tuesday.

BNN has reported that new type of drug, flakka, has entered the country, saying it was seeking to trace the source of  flakka  and how it had entered the country.

"All of a sudden flakka has been found in Indonesia,"  BNN Chief Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso said recently.

Budi said BNN will team up with the health ministry in preventing  wider distribution of flakka in the country.

He said Indonesia is still one of the main targets for drug smugglers from a number of countries. In this country, made up of many islands , there are many small unregistered harbors through which smuggling could not be detected any time.

He said the failed attempt recently to smuggle 1 ton of methamphetamine via Banten is not much compared with the total drugs already entering the country.

Based on information from China, in 2016, around 250 tons of methamphetamine were smuggled into Indonesia  from that country.

"Narcotics smuggled into Indonesia is very large. Before the last Ied ul Fitri around 5 tons of methamphetamine were smuggled into Indonesia," he said.

Jokowi has asked for tougher action against drug crimes especially involving foreigners.

More than 15 drug death row convicts , mostly foreigners, have been executed under the Jokowi regime drawing international condemnation.(*)