Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia During Limited Meeting on Eradication and Handling of Drug-Related Crime, Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, September 11, 2023

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Good afternoon,
May prosperity be upon us all.

This afternoon’s limited meeting will be focused on discussions on the eradication and handling of drug-related crimes at home.

The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) recorded that as many as 1.95 percent of the country’s population or 3.6 million people are involved in drug abuse cases, leading to the overcrowding of prisons across the country.

Therefore, I’d like to call on you all to seek breakthrough approaches to address the issue and reducing the number of drug-related crimes. Yesterday, I already spoke with the Military Commander and Regional Police Chief in North Sumatra province.

We will start with strict law enforcement to act as a deterrent because we notice that many of our law enforcement personnel are involved in it. This is a serious matter. Decisive actions must be taken against the perpetrators.

Regarding the rehabilitation of perpetrators, since the prisons are overcrowded, the Military Commander suggested that rehabilitation be done in regiment military areas (rindam) in every city. It can accommodate around 500 individuals for rehabilitation. However, the budget scheme will be further discussed.

Regarding prevention, particularly in drug smuggling, we must properly tackle this issue. To keep our focus, I want actions to be taken in the top five or ten provinces with the highest number of drug-related crimes. We will determine our course of action after we conclude our discussions here.

That concludes my remarks.

Coordinating Minister, you may have the floor.

(RIF/RAS/EP)