BNN: Eradicating Narcotics Distributors Heavier Than Its Users

JAKARTA - The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) says that eradicating narcotics traffickers is harder than users. Thus, the BNN prefers to take care of narcotics users rather than dealing with the traffickers by means of punishment or rehabilitation.

"If we eradicate the traffickers, it will be longer, harder work, but if we eradicate the users with proper rehabilitation and punishment," said the Deputy Legal Director for Legal Affairs and Work at BNN Susanto in a discussion on the Imprisonment of Medical Cannabis Users which was broadcast on VOI's YouTube account, Thursday 18 June.

Rehabilitation and appropriate punishment, he said, is assumed to be able to deter narcotics users. If you are deterred, then you can be sure that no Indonesian people want to use narcotics.

"If there are no users in Indonesia, then whatever the distribution in Indonesia will not be bankrupt," he said, adding that BNN would prefer to carry out rehabilitation rather than imprison the users.

Meanwhile, member of Commission III DPR RI Hinca Panjaitan assessed that imprisoning drug users is not a solution. This has actually triggered other problems, such as the overcapacity of prisons. He even said that drug cases are one of the biggest contributors to prisoners.

"So I firmly say that imprisonment of users, especially victims, is not the answer to the case resolver," said Hinca.

He even said that excess capacity in prisons is the responsibility of the police, judges and prosecutors. This is because every legal process that ensnares drug users occurs because law enforcers prefer to send them to prison.

In fact, based on Law Number 35 Year 2009, there must be a distinction between victims and dealers. "If he uses this for his own benefit and is rich in using someone else as a victim, that is what the dealer calls" no mercy. But, for the victim, the user must be rehabilitated, "he said.

Moreover, the law related to narcotics is actually more aimed at rehabilitating users than putting them in prison. So it is important for law enforcers and state officials to understand these rules.

"Use reason and conscience when using articles (Law Number 35 of 2009)," said the politician from the Democratic Party.