West Sumatra Is Now A Transition Area For Drug Trafficking, The COVID-19 Pandemic Has Triggered It

Head of West Sumatra BNNP Brigadier General Sukria Gaos (center). (Photo via ANTARA/Mario SN)

West Sumatra Province (West Sumatra) has now become a transit area of drug trafficking. This was conveyed by the Head of the West Sumatra Provincial National Narcotics Agency (BNNP), Brigadier General Sukria Gaos.

He said it was triggered by the weak economic conditions of the community. This condition made the community then use the illicit goods as an effort to meet the needs of life.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating economic impact and this has led to many unemployed people. Being a courier promises economically because there are payments that can meet their needs," said Sukria Gaos in Padang, as quoted by Antara, Saturday, February 18.

According to him, West Sumatra Province used to be only a crossing in drug trafficking. However, it has now become a transit area for drug trafficking since the COVID-19 pandemic.

"In the past, West Sumatra was only a track area, but now it has turned into a drug transit area before walking to other provinces," he said.

According to Sukria, the West Sumatra phenomenon has become a transit area for drug trafficking due to the emergence of a lot of unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This is a phenomenon of West Sumatra being a transit for drug trafficking. In addition, drug trafficking is also used by dealers through social media and online delivery," he said.

Therefore, he asked the local provincial government to immediately improve the economic condition of the community, so that the number of couriers or drug dealers in this area can be suppressed together.

"We hope that all parties and local governments can eradicate drugs, because BNN cannot carry out prevention or prosecution of drug trafficking in this Minang area," he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Governor of West Sumatra, Audy Djoinaldy, said that currently around 30-40 people have died from the influence of drugs and in West Sumatra drug users are not only consumed by the upper middle class, but also in the lower middle class.

"Currently, students are easy targets, so the collaboration of Polda, BNN, Provincial Government, West Sumatra DPRD and anti-drug organizations goes to all schools to spread the bad effects of drug consumption and the legal impacts that will be caused," he said.

In addition, in West Sumatra, he said, around 85 percent of prisoners and inmates in West Sumatra were involved in drug cases and this must be a concern and there are proposals for those caught to be rehabilitated.

"Currently, those who are detained as users, and when they come out, have become dealers. Of course, a special formula is needed in reducing the number of drug abuse," said Djonaldy.