The joint operation by the National Police, the National Narcotics\nAgency (BNN), the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the Civil Service Police\nUnit (Satpol PP), which targeted Kampung Ambon and Kampung Boncos in\nJakarta recently, deserves recognition. Deploying around 700 personnel,\nthe authorities searched the two areas, which are known as\ndrug-trafficking centres, and detained 24 people for further\nquestioning.<\/p>\n
However, the success of such an operation cannot be measured simply\nby the number of personnel deployed, locations raided or people\ndetained. The most important question is whether the operation can\nexpose drug supply networks, identify financiers, cut off the flow of\ncriminal proceeds and help restore social life in areas vulnerable to\ndrug activity.<\/p>\n
This is where the state\u2019s resolve is put to the test. A raid is an\nentry point for law enforcement, not the end point. A show of force that\nlasts only a short time risks creating an illusion of success. The\nauthorities arrive and street-level offenders are arrested, but the drug\nbusiness network survives, relocates and resumes operations once public\nand police attention fades.<\/p>\n
The approach to combating drugs must therefore shift beyond\nenforcement operations alone. It must encompass the dismantling of\nsyndicate networks down to their funding sources and profiteers, as well\nas the sustained social and economic recovery of affected\ncommunities.<\/p>\n
The drug trade is not run by just one or two people. It involves many\nactors forming a supply chain that includes street dealers, couriers,\nkingpins, suppliers, distribution controllers, financiers and those who\nconceal and enjoy the proceeds of crime. Those found at raid locations\nmay not know the network\u2019s full structure, and they are not necessarily\nthe people who make the greatest profits from the illicit business.<\/p>\n
From the perspective of organised crime, syndicates endure through a\ndivision of roles, resources, protection networks and the ability to\nmanage risk. The most influential criminal actors are often far removed\nfrom the places where drugs are sold. The principal figures will never\ndeal directly with the drugs themselves.<\/p>\n
For this reason, enforcement in drug-trafficking areas must develop\ninto investigations that trace links between offenders, supply sources,\ndistribution patterns and the flow of proceeds. BNN and the National\nPolice should strengthen coordination with the Financial Transaction\nReports and Analysis Centre (PPATK), prosecutors and relevant agencies\nto uncover suspicious transactions and assets suspected of originating\nfrom drug crimes.<\/p>\n
Asset tracing is a strategic tool for undermining syndicates\u2019 ability\nto finance their operations. Bank accounts, property, vehicles, front\ncompanies and other assets should be traced and dealt with through the\nappropriate legal processes. The aim is not only to punish offenders,\nbut also to prevent illegal proceeds from being used to expand\ndrug-trafficking networks.<\/p>\n
This approach is consistent with Gary S. Becker\u2019s economic theory of\ncrime, which explains that decisions to commit crimes are influenced,\namong other things, by a comparison between expected gains and the risk\nof punishment. If the profits from the illegal drug trade remain high\nwhile the risk of losing those proceeds is relatively low, arresting\nsome offenders will not change drug syndicates\u2019 economic\ncalculations.<\/p>\n
The state must reverse that calculation. Drug networks should not\nmerely lose their merchandise; they must lose their funding sources,\naccess to distribution and opportunity to enjoy their profits. Measures\nof success in combating drugs should also be broadened to include the\nnumber of networks dismantled, masterminds exposed, financial flows\ntraced, assets seized and supply routes to trafficking areas cut\noff.<\/p>\n
Combating drugs requires more than a security and law-enforcement\napproach. Vulnerable areas must also be understood in terms of the\nsocio-economic conditions that allow drug networks to establish and\nexpand their businesses. Unemployment, limited business opportunities,\nweak neighbourhood oversight and poor access to social services can be\nexploited by syndicates seeking to recruit couriers or dealers from\nvulnerable communities.<\/p>\n
Economic hardship does not automatically drive someone to crime.\nHowever, when opportunities to earn a legitimate income are lacking, the\npromise of quick money from drug networks can tempt some members of the\ncommunity. Law enforcement must therefore be accompanied by efforts to\nwiden access to legitimate livelihoods.<\/p>\n
Social Disorganisation Theory suggests that a community\u2019s limited\ncollective capacity to maintain social order can make an area more\nvulnerable to crime. When social ties weaken, informal oversight becomes\nineffective and local institutions play a diminished role, criminal\ngroups have greater opportunities to build influence in the\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
This theory does not mean that poor areas are inherently criminal.\nRather, the issue is how the state can strengthen communities\u2019 ability\nto protect their neighbourhoods. Residents need safe public spaces,\nconstructive activities for young people, swift and trusted reporting\nchannels, and support for people experiencing drug misuse. Enforcement\noperations must therefore be followed by community recovery\nprogrammes.<\/p>\n
Recovery must go beyond counselling sessions or one-off aid\ndistributions. The government should assess local economic potential,\nresidents\u2019 skills, market needs and groups requiring support. Programmes\ncould include relevant vocational training, small and medium-sized\nenterprise development, stronger cooperatives, access to finance,\ndigital marketing and partnerships with businesses.<\/p>\n
Community organisations, religious institutions, universities and the\nprivate sector can be involved as partners. They can help provide\nbusiness mentors, skills training, market access and social support. All\nprogrammes, however, must be designed around the community\u2019s real needs\nand delivered consistently, rather than as ceremonial or one-off\nactivities.<\/p>\n
The success of community recovery should be measured through concrete\noutcomes: how many residents find work, how household incomes change and\nwhether vulnerability to recruitment by criminal networks declines.\nWithout clear indicators, economic empowerment can easily become a\nceremonial exercise with no long-term impact.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, the operations in Kampung Ambon and Kampung Boncos should\nserve as a catalyst for a more comprehensive anti-drug strategy. The\nstate must act firmly against kingpins and financiers, consistently\ntrace criminal proceeds, provide support to those who need it and expand\neconomic opportunities for people in vulnerable areas.<\/p>\n
The war on drugs must not become a series of high-profile operations\nthat flare briefly and then disappear without offering solutions. If\ndealers are arrested while financiers continue to enjoy the profits, the\nwar is not over. If trafficking is temporarily halted but communities\nremain trapped in social and economic vulnerability, recovery has not\nsucceeded.<\/p>\n
Victory in the war on drugs will not be achieved merely when the\nauthorities arrest dealers and seize trafficking centres. It will come\nwhen syndicates lose the ability to operate, their profits are\nconfiscated and communities can build a safe, independent and dignified\nsocial order.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-war-on-drugs-requires-more-than-raids-1792644825", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }