Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs: Success in Drug Prevention Is Not Measured by Arrests

The Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, Djamari Chaniago, has stressed that the benchmark for success in drug prevention is not the number of arrests or large-scale seizures of evidence. He argued that prevention is only truly successful when narcotics no longer enter the country or when the public outright rejects these illicit substances. “All elements of the nation must care about issues related to anti-narcotics,” Djamari said during the commemoration of International Anti-Narcotics Day 2026 in Bogor Regency, West Java, on Thursday.

He noted that the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) continuously devises various plans, programmes, and measures to eradicate drugs, but these steps require support from all parties. Djamari views the fight against drugs as a worldly and spiritual duty to save humanity and the nation’s future, specifically citing the need to support the government’s agenda in developing superior human resources.

Regarding the scale of the challenge, he highlighted that Indonesia’s archipelagic geography provides numerous entry points for narcotics. Despite this, the BNN reported significant enforcement results. Between October 2024 and July 2026, the agency seized over 12.3 tonnes of drug evidence, saving an estimated 48.3 million lives. These operations also disrupted the drug economy, halting the circulation of illicit funds worth Rp16.5 trillion and securing assets related to money laundering crimes valued at Rp165 billion. The strategic operations, conducted across 34 provinces, also resulted in the arrest of 1,259 suspects and the seizure of 126.3 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, 12.7 kilograms of cannabis, 1,428 ecstasy pills, Rp1.5 billion in cash, precious metals, and 64 sharp weapons alongside 19 firearms.