TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Head of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Petrus Reinhard Golose, reported an increase in drug trafficking during the Covid-19 pandemic. The condition was evident from the rising amount of evidence seized by the BNN.

"Despite the current Covid-19 pandemic, the public demand [on illegal drugs] is still high, perhaps because of work from home, there is a lot of drugs abuse from home," said Petrus during a hearing at Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR) on Thursday, March 18, 2021.

In the last three months, Petrus mentioned that the BNN confiscated 808.67 kilograms of methamphetamine, which was equal to 70.19 percent of the total evidence discovered in 2020 of 1,152.2 kilograms.

As of March 2021, BNN also found 3,462.75 kilograms of marijuana, a number 143.64 percent higher compared to the 2,410 kilograms confiscated in 2020.

Other than enforcing the law to tackle drug abuse, Petrus said his agency continues to provide rehabilitation services. The BNN has made various holistic and integrative efforts to prevent and eradicate narcotics trafficking, in terms of hard power (eradication), soft power (prevention, community empowerment, and rehabilitation), smart power (IT development and research), and empowering (cooperation).

"These efforts are carried out by BNN in line with our tagline, war on drugs. And of course, by adhering to human rights and professional and proportional law enforcement," said Petrus.

BUDIARTI UTAMI PUTRI