RI urges regional cooperation to combat drugs

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia yesterday called for greater cooperation among Asia-Pacific countries in fighting international drug syndicates, saying that no country is safe from drug problems as long as they exist in the region..

The different legal systems in the region should not preclude law enforcement agencies from working together, Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman said.

"I hope the success achieved by several countries does not make us become negligent to the dangers or become complacent as long as drug producing plants are still growing and the development of chemical technology continues to expand," Soesilo said during a meeting with heads of the region's drug enforcement agencies.

The 20th meeting of the Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies (HONLEA) for the Asia-Pacific region at Sahid Jaya Hotel brings together representatives from 50 countries, 13 international and regional organizations, and five observer countries -- Canada, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland.

Soesilo said cooperation among law enforcement agencies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Asia-Pacific region as well as internationally have succeeded in curbing drug trafficking.

The minister appealed to developed countries for financial assistance to help developing countries combat the drug trade.

"The weakness of one country may very well influence another even if the latter is a developed country," he said.

The five-day meeting will review heroin trafficking, the establishment of intelligence gathering and dissemination systems in the region, measures to bar illicit poppy cultivation and the production of opium.

According to the provisional agenda, the meeting will also discuss the prevention role of drug enforcement agencies and also hear progress reports on the recommendations each country made at the 19th conference.

Soesilo underlined that the number of drug addicts in Indonesia, at 0.062 percent of its total population of 195 million, is relatively small compared to other countries in the region.

However, he said the government never underestimates the potential of drug abuse, despite the low rate of addiction.

The police say that Indonesia has become a popular transit point for international drug syndicates trading in heroin, though little heroin actually finds its way into the Indonesian market.

The majority of drug busts made by police were at airports in Jakarta, Medan and Denpasar, and most of the drugs were destined for other countries.

In the past, narcotics cases in Indonesia mostly involved marijuana grown in Aceh. But in recent years, heavier drugs such as Ecstasy are gaining popularity among young urbanites.

Jakarta police last week said that weak laws are hampering their efforts to battle the drug trade. (01)