TANJUNG SELOR - North Kalimantan (Kaltara) Governor Zainal A. Paliwang emphasized that Kaltara's territory, which borders directly with neighboring countries, has a high vulnerability to infiltration and illegal circulation of narcotics involving international networks.
The statement was made by Zainal when attending the 2026 International Anti-Drug Day (HANI) which was held in a hybrid with the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) at the Lantai I Hall of the Kaltara Governor's Office, Tanjung Selor, Thursday, July 23.
Zainal said the high mobility across borders and Kaltara's strategic position as Indonesia's leading gateway were serious challenges in efforts to eradicate narcotics.
"Kaltara is not just a transit area, but the front porch of the country. This condition makes us very vulnerable to infiltration by international narcotics syndicates," said Zainal.
He revealed that based on national data in 2025, the prevalence of drug abuse reached 2.11 percent or around 4.15 million people aged 15-64 years. This figure shows that the threat of narcotics is still a serious problem that must be faced together.
"Drugs not only damage health, but also destroy family economies, trigger criminality, and threaten the country's resilience," he said.
He emphasized that as a step to strengthen prevention, his party had established Regional Regulation (Perda) Number 3 of 2024 concerning the Facilitation of Prevention and Eradication of the Illegal Use and Illegal Circulation of Narcotics (P4GN) and Narcotic Precursors.
"The regulation is a legal basis for the local government together with related institutions to strengthen efforts to prevent, rehabilitate, and take action against the misuse and illicit trafficking of narcotics, especially in border areas," he said.
Zainal invited all elements of society, from families, schools, religious leaders, community leaders to law enforcement officers, to strengthen synergy in protecting young generations from the threat of narcotics.
"Preventing drug abuse is not only the task of the government and law enforcement, but is the responsibility of all components of the nation," he said.
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