India, Indonesia join hands to eradicate drug use and abuse

With an aim of reducing the use and abuse of all types of drugs, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Indonesia's Anti-Narcotics Agency (BNN) met in the Capital on Friday at the 3rd Director-General Bilateral working group meeting.

Concerned about the substantial increase of drug users during the past few years, the meeting led by Abhay, Director General, NCB and Drs Heru Winarko. SH, Head of BNN, Indonesia, discussed the illicit trafficking of drugs and it poses a grave threat to both the countries.

The meeting discussed ways to reduce and subsequently remove the illicit use and trafficking of unprescribed drugs. A detailed discussion on the current drug situation in the two countries was also held along with the exchange of information on trafficking of narcotics, routes and transnational drug operatives, control regime of parent chemicals. The parties also shared details of arrested nationals involved in drug trafficking in each country. Ideas regarding the feasibility of Controlled Delivery Operations and the best practices with regard to drug demand and supply reduction was also discussed in detail.

"There has been a rise of drug users in the last one year across the globe, 1 million users have been identified since 2017, to be exact," said Mr Winarko. "No country can fight this war on its own. Indonesia and India also happen to share culture, sea and are maritime neighbours as well," said Abhay speaking about the similarities of the two countries.

According to NCB statistics from the past few years, about 50,000 Indians have been caught illicitly trafficking or consuming drugs.

Fighting Drugs

Concerned about the substantial rise in drug users in the past few years, the meeting discussed the illicit trafficking of drugs and the grave threat they pose to both the countries. The meeting discussed ways to remove illicit use and trafficking of unprescribed drugs