Prabowo pledges full reinforcement for BNN in drug eradication efforts

“I am aware of the enormity of the challenges we face in eradicating narcotics, compounded further by Indonesia’s geographical position.”

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto will provide total strengthening to the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) of the Republic of Indonesia in the effort to eradicate narcotics, as a concrete commitment of the government going forward.

“I am aware of the enormity of the challenges we face in eradicating narcotics, compounded further by Indonesia’s geographical position,” said Prabowo, in a speech read out by Coordinating Minister for Political and Legal Affairs Djamari Chaniago, at the commemoration of the 2026 International Day Against Drug Abuse in Bogor Regency, West Java, on Thursday.

The President said the strengthening would be carried out comprehensively, covering the legal framework, the provision of adequate infrastructure down to the regions, as well as the equipping of more advanced tactical and strategic intelligence technology.

Prabowo said Indonesia’s geographical condition — situated at the crossroads of two continents and two oceans, with thousands of islands, an extremely long coastline, and numerous entry points via sea, air, and land routes — does indeed offer strategic advantages.

At the same time, however, he said this geographical position opens up many gaps that could be exploited by international narcotics crime networks to smuggle and distribute narcotics to various regions.

On the other hand, he emphasised that the war against narcotics cannot be won with weapons and law enforcement alone, but also requires strategic thinking and advanced innovation.

“Bearing that in mind, I will provide total strengthening to the BNN, because we also need strategic thinking and advanced innovation,” he said.