By: Dhita Karuniawati)*
The Prabowo-Gibran government is currently intensively strengthening the prevention and eradication of narcotics as the sixth program of the 17 main Asta Cita programs launched by President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka. President Prabowo has clearly emphasized to eradicate narcotics to the roots. This step shows the government’s strong commitment to combating narcotics, which are considered a serious threat to the country. President Prabowo’s government is committed to protecting Indonesia’s young generation from the dangers of narcotics. One of the specific strategies carried out is strengthening the intelligence function.
The Chairman of the MPR RI, Ahmad Muzani, expressed his support for strengthening intelligence as a strategic step in eradicating drug trafficking in Indonesia. Strengthening intelligence is an instrument needed to eradicate drugs. This is because drug eradication in Indonesia is at a level that must be carried out intensively and massively, as explained by the Head of the National Narcotics Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (BNN) RI Marthinus Hukom. This is because there are 3.33 million Indonesians exposed to drugs, their ages from 10 years to 60 years vary greatly and are of average productive age.
Some of the steps proposed by the Head of BNN include strengthening the eradication of corruption, starting from strengthening institutions for the effectiveness of eradication and rehabilitation for drug users.
Ahmad Muzani said that President Prabowo Subianto’s determination to eradicate drugs is a strategic and important step that must be supported by all parties. In addition to the intelligence operation to eradicate drugs that needs to be made effective as a preventive effort, the quantity and quality of rehabilitation centers in the country also need to be improved.
Meanwhile, the Head of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), Commissioner General of Police. Marthinus Hukom said that strengthening intelligence as an effort to eradicate drugs in the country has been instructed by President Prabowo. He even ordered to pursue arrests to eradicate drugs. The President wants Indonesia to have strong intelligence.
Marthinus explained that drug trafficking is a form of transnational organized crime, so a special approach is needed to eradicate it. We cannot deal with it with an ordinary approach, but we must approach it with an extraordinary approach. One extraordinary approach is to hold an intelligence network 24/7 throughout the year. Because we are facing a great power, both the structural power of the organization, the Narcotics organization, and we are facing their financial power.
Marthinus also stated that a number of areas prone to drug smuggling in the country that need to be strengthened by intelligence operations, including along the east coast of Sumatra to the border of North Kalimantan and West Kalimantan. Then also on the west coast of Sulawesi Island because it faces international waters and borders Tawau waters, East Kalimantan-Malaysia.
There are three moral standings that must be the basis for dealing with drug problems. First, viewing drug crimes as a threat to humanity and human civilization, along with the high rate of drug abuse.
Second, take repressive action against the narcotics syndicate network. He said law enforcement must target the drug network as a whole, not just the perpetrators at the user level (drug addicts).
Then third, namely a humanist attitude towards drug users. According to him, law enforcers must begin to change the paradigm that drug users (addicts) are victims who need medical and social rehabilitation, not just prisoners. This is reinforced by the full conditions of correctional institutions dominated by perpetrators of drug crimes.
The same thing was also conveyed by intelligence and security expert from the School of Strategic and Global Studies, University of Indonesia (SKSG UI), Stanislaus Riyanta. He said that strengthening intelligence is needed to prevent the threat of drug trafficking in the country.
According to Stanislaus, the intelligence strength lies in the network owned, and the ability of agents or analysts to collect information related to drugs is expected to prevent the threat. So, the reinforcement needed is to strengthen the network and competence of agents and intelligence analysts at BNN.
Stanislaus emphasized that intelligence is essentially a detector, warning, and early prevention of threats, not a countermeasure or eradication of narcotics. Therefore, intelligence and covert operations must be distinguished in the context of combating drug trafficking in the country. Covert operations, if they must be carried out, must ensure that their officers have the competence of covert operation techniques. This must be trained and tested before activities are carried out in the field.
The commitment of the Prabowo-Gibran government in eradicating drug cases is a support for realizing Indonesia Emas 2045. The next generation of the nation must be truly protected from the dangers of drugs to continue national development. Therefore, this effort needs to be supported by all elements of society so that drug distribution can be suppressed holistically.
In addition to a comprehensive approach between education, eradication, and rehabilitation, strengthening the intelligence function is an effective step to combat the dangers of drugs. This is because drug trafficking targets various groups with various methods that may not be clearly visible or hidden from the public eye. Let’s monitor the eradication of drugs in Indonesia with strong synergy from all Indonesian people.
*) The author is a contributor to the Indonesian Strategic Information Study Institute
