Serious in Combating Drugs, Riau Police Establish Anti-Drug Villages and Evaluate 28 Personnel! 16 Officers Removed
Pekanbaru, VIVA – Polda Riau has inaugurated 23 Anti-Drug Ambassadors while declaring the Anti-Drug Resilient Village as a tangible step in combating the circulation of narcotics in the region.
The event, held at the Tribrata Hall on the 5th Floor of Polda Riau on Thursday, 16 April 2026, was led directly by the Riau Police Chief, Inspector General of Police Herry Heryawan, accompanied by the Deputy Police Chief of Riau, Brigadier General of Police Hengki Haryadi, the Internal Affairs Chief, Commissioner of Police Prabowo Santoso, and several main officials.
Several Forkopimda elements and community figures were also present, from representatives of the Riau Provincial Government, the Commander of the I/Bukit Barisan Military Region, the Riau Attorney General, the Head of the Riau Provincial National Narcotics Agency, to customary leaders and residents of Panipahan Village.
The event proceeded solemnly with a series of activities, starting from video screening, singing the Indonesian National Anthem, joint prayers, to the screening of drug case revelations by Polda Riau units.
The highlight of the event was marked by the inauguration of the 23 Anti-Drug Ambassadors through the installation of sashes by the Police Chief. The ambassadors consist of 5 national ambassadors and 18 local ones, expected to be the spearhead of the campaign against the dangers of drugs.
National ambassador representative, Okan Cornelius, in his speech, emphasised the importance of the younger generation’s role as the frontline in fighting drug abuse.
In addition, the event was enlivened with cultural arts performances such as poetry reading by Sendy Alpagari and theatrical performance from Riau Creative Hub.
Not only that, the Riau Police Chief, together with the Director of Narcotics Investigation and representatives from Panipahan Village, also signed the Anti-Drug Resilient Village cornerstone as a symbol of collective commitment.
In his direction, the Police Chief asserted that this activity is not merely ceremonial, but a concrete step to build collective awareness in combating drugs.
“The incident in Panipahan some time ago must be taken as a wake-up call for all of us. This is not only the duty of the Police, but also BNN, Customs, TNI, local government, to the community. We must not only focus on enforcement, but also encourage social change,” he said on Thursday, 16 April 2026.
He revealed that throughout 2025 to April 2026, Polda Riau has uncovered 3,287 drug cases with a total of 4,719 suspects.
“From these revelations, we have managed to save approximately 5.3 million lives. However, we must be honest, Indonesia is no longer just a transit point, but has become a market. Therefore, strengthening at the community level is key,” he stated.