The ongoing conflict in Myanmar is believed to be one of the reasons behind the recent increase in drug trafficking and abuse in Indonesia, Head of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Petrus Reinhard Golose has said.

“In Myanmar, there are many so-called clandestine laboratories (for illicit drugs) guarded by armed militia forces. Its precursors (chemicals that can be used in the manufacture of narcotics and psychotropics) come from China,” Golose informed here on Wednesday.

Myanmar is part of the Golden Triangle, the production center of various types of narcotics in Southeast Asia, he explained. It is located in the interior and mountainous areas of northern Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos, he said.

According to Golose, the problems in Myanmar are behind the increase in drug trafficking in the Southeast Asian region, including Indonesia.

This has been proven by the high number of seizures and arrests in border areas, he said. The increase in drug trafficking is one of the factors behind the increasing prevalence of drug abuse in Indonesia, which has climbed from 1.8 percent in 2019 to 1.95 percent in 2021, he informed.

Earlier, Golose said BNN had uncovered 85 drug syndicates, both national and international, in 2021, and many of them were linked to the Golden Triangle.

“BNN has collaborated with the ambassadors of Southeast Asian countries regarding the Golden Triangle. This is a Southeast Asian transportation area,” he said.

Through the collaboration, Golose said, BNN could learn the geostrategic and geopolitical developments in the respective countries that pertain to drug trafficking.

The agency has taken anticipatory steps by building synergy with all stakeholders, including the police and customs office, to prevent drug smuggling by international syndicates, he added.

Source: Antara News