JAKARTA. In order to control Indonesian border areas and ports to prevent penetration by international drug syndicates, the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) will increase the number of its interdiction teams.

"The BNN will set up more interdiction teams that will be deployed in all areas that have been, or may be used as entry points for drug smuggling and trafficking into Indonesia,” BNN spokesman Sr. Comr. Sumirat Dwiyanto told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Sumirat said the agency planned to establish 68 new interdiction teams or task forces to cover all entry points in border areas and sea- and airports nationwide.

The agency currently has only six interdiction task forces stationed in Jakarta, Medan (North Sumatra), and Manado (North Sulawesi) and on the three islands of Bitung (North Sulawesi), Batam (Riau Islands) and Bali. The six areas are also known as exit doors for international drug syndicates.

Sumirat said that an interdiction team had a number of members from the BNN, the customs and excise office, the military, the police, airport and port operators and any other relevant institution.

He added that the main tasks of the interdiction teams were to cut the drug syndicate’s networks, arrest drug dealers and traffickers and confiscate trafficked drugs. (Nani Afrida)

Editor: Yudho Winarto