In 2022, Bareskrim Polri Is Ready To Exterminate The Perpetrator Of Money Laundering In Drug Cases

Bareskrim Press Conference/Photo: Antara

The Directorate of Drug Crimes at the Criminal Investigation Department of the Indonesian National Police (Bareskrim Polri) has made the disclosure of money laundering crimes (TPPU) in drug cases a priority program in 2022.

The Director of Narcotics Crime (Dirtipidnarkoba) of the Indonesian National Police, Brigadier General Pol Krisno H Siregar, said that his party has prepared strategic programs for 2022 in an effort to eradicate drug abuse and illicit trafficking, which are the main tasks and functions of the National Police's Narcotics Directorate.

"To carry out investigations and examinations into criminal acts of abuse and illicit drug trafficking and illicit trafficking of narcotic precursors as well as criminal acts of money laundering originating from drug crimes," Krisno said as quoted by Antara on Tuesday, January 18.

Krisno explained that the programs implemented include routine police activities and enhanced routine activities (KRYD) such as Sea Port Interdiction, joint operations at sea with related agencies, and international cooperation with the police in pursuing targets for transnational organized crime (transnational criminal organizations) operating in several countries.

Regarding money laundering offenses, Krisno said, his party had determined the target for disclosure of money laundering offenses against narcotics crimes, the number of which increased from the previous year.

As is known, in 2020, the National Police's Criminal Investigation and Narcotics Directorate revealed one case of drug trafficking with four suspects and the value of the confiscated assets amounted to IDR 966 million. Meanwhile, in 2021, five cases of drug money laundering were revealed, with 10 suspects, and the value of confiscated assets increased by 35 percent, which was IDR 341.8 billion.

"There are several cases of money laundering offences that are performance targets to be uncovered in 2022. Of course, Dittipidnarkoba strives to continue to improve its performance, which is better than the previous year," said Krisno.

Krisno once said that efforts to apply money laundering offenses in drug cases, although the numbers are still small, will continue to be maximized not only at the central level (Police Headquarters), but also at the regional police and regional ranks.

The National Police Headquarters has set performance targets for the regional police and ranks in order to optimize the application of money laundering offenses against drug cases at the center and regions in 2021.

The National Police divides the 34 Drug Investigation Directorates in the regional police throughout Indonesia into three regions with different task loads, namely very vulnerable areas, vulnerable areas, and less vulnerable areas.

For regional police areas which are very prone to illicit trafficking and drug abuse, it is determined that at least five new cases of drugs are TPPU in one year, while the areas that are prone to are three cases and less prone to at least two cases.

The National Police Headquarters also imposes an evaluation at the end of the year on regional police that has not optimized the application of money laundering offenses in drug cases in their area in order to find out what obstacles are faced by the regional police in following up on leadership directions.

There will be a team of assistants from the National Police Headquarters who will be dispatched to the region to find out if there is a weakness in regional police resources in uncovering money laundering offenses in drug cases.

The investigation of money laundering offenses in drug cases is one of the global strategies imitated by the National Police's Criminal Investigation Agency (DITtipidnarkoba) in the context of eradicating extraordinary crimes or "extraordinary crime" drugs.

Money is the "blood" of drug crime syndicates. Imprisonment is considered not to provide a deterrent to perpetrators of illicit traffickers and drug abusers, so that once they are released from prison they will repeat their actions again. No doubt many drug recidivists were again arrested and imprisoned.

According to Krisno, confiscation of the wealth and assets of drug dealers impoverishes the dealers, one of which is an effort to deter perpetrators of criminal acts of illicit trafficking and drug abuse.