Riau Police Chief Irjen Pol Herry Heryawan has stated that the\nincident in Panipahan, Rokan Hilir Regency (Rohil), serves as a wake-up\ncall not only for the police but for all elements of society. The event\nis hoped to become a momentum for strengthening synergy between\nPolri-TNI, local government, and all community components to jointly\ncombat drugs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe incident in Panipahan a while ago must be interpreted as a\nwake-up call for all of us\u2014not just for the police sector, police\nresort, or provincial police\u2014but also for BNN, Customs, TNI, up to the\ndistrict and village governments,\u201d said Irjen Herry Heryawan during the\nlaunch of the Resilient Anti-Drug Village at Riau Police Headquarters,\nPekanbaru, on Thursday (16\/4\/2026).<\/p>\n
\u201cThat incident is a spark so that we do not only think about efforts\nto uncover cases, but also how to create values and better social\nchange,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n
Regarding law enforcement, the Police Chief explained that no fewer\nthan 3,287 drug cases with 4,719 suspects arrested have been handled\nsince 2025 up to April 2026. However, these figures are not a measure of\nsuccess, given that Indonesia is now a target drug market.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must realise that Indonesia is no longer just a transit point but\nhas become a market,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Directly bordering neighbouring countries makes Riau Province\nvulnerable to drug smuggling. Therefore, the Police Chief emphasised\nthat the war against drugs is not the task of the police alone, but\nrequires collaboration and synergy across agencies.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe border directly with neighbouring countries, so strengthening at\nthe grassroots level is the main key through collaborative prevention\nand eradication strategies,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
Establishment of Anti-Drug Villages<\/p>\n
As a form of seriousness in efforts to eradicate drugs in Riau\nProvince, Polda Riau has formed Resilient Anti-Drug Villages in five\nareas. With these Anti-Drug Villages, the community can protect itself\nfrom the dangers of drugs.<\/p>\n
The Resilient Anti-Drug Village in Panipahan, Pasir Limau Kapas\nSubdistrict, Rokan Hilir Regency (Rohil); Kampung Dalam in Senapelan\nSubdistrict, Pekanbaru City; Empang Pandan Village, Koto Gasib\nSubdistrict, Siak Regency; Laksamana Ward, Dumai City Subdistrict,\nDumai; and Jangkang Village, Bantan Subdistrict, Bengkalis Regency.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis resilient village is our way of strengthening the grassroots\ncommunity. This task is not just the police\u2019s duty, but a collective\ntask for all of us to conduct mapping and assessment of social\npotential,\u201d said Irjen Pol Herry Heryawan at Riau Police Headquarters,\nPekanbaru City, on Thursday (16\/4\/2026).<\/p>\n
In his speech, the Riau Police Chief touched on the commotion\nincident and community aspirations regarding drugs in Panipahan, Rokan\nHilir, a while ago. He called the incident a harsh warning (wake-up\ncall) not only for police apparatus but also for other agencies and\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, the Akpol 96 graduate also expressed his\nappreciation to the mothers in Panipahan who dared to speak out. Based\non post-conflict assessment, it was revealed that many families have\nbeen destroyed by drugs, including fishermen trapped in the myth that\ndrugs can increase strength while at sea.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Panipahan incident is a wake-up call not only for the sector\npolice chief, but for me, the Regional Command Chief, BNNP, Customs, up\nto the local government. We conducted an assessment, and it turned out\nthere was a lack of police and government touch there,\u201d said Irjen\nHerry.<\/p>\n
Massive Rotation<\/p>\n
As a concrete action, the Police Chief conducted a comprehensive\ninternal evaluation. He carried out a clean-up by rotating dozens of\npersonnel.<\/p>\n
\u201cI replaced 28 personnel there. Only those who were not identified as\n\u2018colluding\u2019 with networks remained. Before the roll call, I had the new\npersonnel undergo urine tests in front of the public,\u201d he asserted.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Irjen Herry Heryawan said his side is not standing idle\nin the war against drugs. He outlined that Polda Riau\u2019s achievements\nfrom 2025-2026 have uncovered 3,287 cases with the number of suspects\nreaching 4,719 people.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/riau-police-chief-panipahan-incident-serves-as-wake-up-call-for-synergy-in-combating-drugs-1776329456", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }