Police Arrested Again in Drug Case, Lawmaker Says Penalties Must be Tougher

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Member of the DPR’s Commission III from the NasDem faction, Rudianto Lallo, has emphasised that action against police officers arrested in narcotics cases must be tougher to avoid the impression that the law is sharp at the lower levels but blunt at the top. Lallo said that taking action against state officials is crucial to safeguard the dignity of the police institution and to restore public trust in law enforcement.

Recently, there has been much talk about police officers in senior positions being arrested in drug-related cases. ‘We must not let there be a perception that the law is sharp downwards but blunt upwards. If law enforcers themselves are involved, the action must be even tougher because they are at the frontline of the war on drugs,’ he told reporters on Tuesday (19 May 2026).

He said not only drug traffickers, couriers, and distributors should be prosecuted, but also those suspected of backing or leveraging their positions to shield the illicit drug networks. ‘We also commend the Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) of the Indonesian National Police for previously exposing a number of cases involving police members. This demonstrates a seriousness in cleansing the internal institution of individuals suspected of operating within drug networks. Steps like this must continue so that the war on drugs is carried out to the maximum,’ he explained.

‘Through layered oversight and ongoing case development, the public hopes that uncovering drug networks does not stop at field actors, but also reaches all parties suspected of involvement behind them,’ Lallo added.

‘Investigations must be conducted professionally, transparently, and without fear or favour. Any Polri member proven to be involved in drug networks must be dealt with firmly,’ he asserted.

According to Lallo, drug cases involving police show that drug networks involve not only field actors but also those who have access or certain authorities. He stressed the importance of oversight and case development to uncover the networks comprehensively.

In addition to ongoing oversight, the Dittipidnarkoba Bareskrim Polri also pledged to provide backing for case development should new facts emerge in the investigative process. ‘This step sends a strong message that the Police do not want to provide space for abuses of power, especially in narcotics crimes that have long posed a serious threat to society and Indonesian youth,’ Lallo added.