US, UNODC and Indonesia Cooperate to Combat Drugs on Border Areas

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The U.S. Embassy, Indonesia, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, enhanced border law enforcement cooperation, which includes efforts to combat the smuggling of narcotics and other illicit goods.

The cooperation is under a program called Strengthening Integrated Border Management to Counter Illegal Trade Flows in Indonesia, which is aimed at strengthening identification/interception capacity. The cooperation is also to strengthen the operational-level cooperation mechanism between State Border Posts in Indonesia to stop illegal trade flows, by providing technical support at both policy and operational levels.

This is one of a series of programs funded by the U.S. Office of Law Enforcement and Anti-Narcotics (INL), including a two-year, one-million dollar program through UNODC, in partnership with the Indonesian National Narcotics Agency (BNN), the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DGCE) and the National Border Management Agency (BNPP).

In this event, INL donated a TruNarc-handled drug analyzer to assist BNN and DJBC operations in Kalimantan. Deputy for Law and Cooperation, Inspector General of Police Agus Irianto awarded INL and UNODC for their cooperation in the prevention and eradication of narcotics in Indonesia.

Transnational crime in Southeast Asia continues to increase, requiring cooperation between international partners. While maritime routes continue to be the primary method for smuggling illicit goods, cross-border smuggling continues to be an issue in Indonesia and around the world. Spanning 3,000 kilometers, the management of land border crossings in Indonesia has geographical and logistical challenges that cause authorities to continually work to prevent smuggling.

Through UNODC, INL Indonesia sponsored a 24-month project to improve cross-institutional cooperation in Indonesia and enhance frontline capacity to combat illicit activities. Meanwhile, through this program, UNODC facilitates cooperation between BNN, DGCE, and BNPP in enhancing their capacity to combat cross-border crimes.

TruNarc handheld narcotics analyzers are drug detection tools that help frontline law enforcement identify more than 530 controlled substances, including scanning through plastic or glass to minimize contamination, reduce exposure, and preserve evidence.

SUCI SEKARWATI 

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