Govt told to better regulate precursor chemicals

Govt told to better regulate precursor chemicals

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta

The government has been urged to regulate the trading of
precursors imported from abroad to stop the misuse of the
chemical substances for the production of narcotics and
psychotropic substances.

National Narcotics Agency (BNN) chairman Comr. Gen. Togar
Sianipar said on Wednesday a precursor was a substance used to
produce medicine, cosmetics, textiles and food, but has widely
been misused for the production of illegal drugs due to the
absence of clear regulations.

Based on a survey by the United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime (UNODC), Indonesia topped the precursor abuse cases among
Southeast Asian countries over the last few years, he said.

"There are 23 kinds of precursors usually misused to produce
narcotics and psychotropic substances, such as ecstasy, because
of the absence of regulations on their importation and trading.
This has made Indonesia a safe haven for precursor abusers,"
Togar told The Jakarta Post.

Data from his agency shows that precursor abuse cases rose
sharply in the last three years, with an average increase of 50
percent.

Last year, the National Police uncovered over 10 cases of
ecstasy made from precursors with evidence confiscated reaching
17.3 kilograms.

In the same year, they also managed to seize 400 tons of
various kinds of illegal precursors in Tanjung Priok Port,
Jakarta.

To make things worse, according to Togar, the drugs that use
precursor as their basic materials become more toxic as they were
usually mixed with other substances that were unlike the standard
contents of ecstasy.

"The homemade ecstasy has become very dangerous with unusual
blends. We can imagine what may happen to consumers. It can cause
premature death," he added.

Togar said Law No. 22/1997 on narcotics and Law No. 5/1997 on
psychotropic substances did not cover the abuse of precursors in
making drugs.

None of the related government agencies such as the
Directorate General of International Trade at the Ministry of
Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Health, and the Drug and Food
Monitoring Agency (BPOM) has enacted regulations on this chemical
substance, he added.

Togar claimed that police were powerless to take firm action
against precursor smugglers and abusers due to a lack of a firm
legal basis.

Furthermore, existing regulations on the import of chemicals
and trading are very ambiguous and weak as violators were only
given administrative sanctions, including formal reprimands,
light fines and suspension of their license, he complained.

These violators, he said, would repeat their wrongdoing due to
the light punishment, Togar added.

Sharing his view was Indonesian Health Consumer Protection
Foundation (YPKKI) chairman Marius Widjajarta, who quoted a 2002
survey by his organization as saying that almost all kinds of
chemical substances, including precursors, entered the country
without any restrictions.

"All 23 precursors can enter Indonesia freely. No wonder
ecstasy production in Indonesia is the highest in the world
because regulations are nonexistent," he told the Post.

Marius said that it was strange that the BPOM insisted on
monitoring chemical substances for medicine and food, while the
agency is separate from the Ministry of Health.

Under the law, the ministry is authorized to supervise the
circulation of similar chemical substances, he added.

"The government has to resolve the dual authority by
determining which agency is responsible for monitoring these
substances," said Marius.

Togar said the BNN had proposed a bill on narcotic and
psychotropic substances that would impose firm punishment for
precursor abusers, adding that it has been submitted to the
President.