Source: 2002
Released by the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
Indonesia is not by international standards a major drug producing, consuming, or drug transit country. However, local use of drugs produced or manufactured elsewhere in Southeast Asia is on the rise. To combat this trend, the Indonesian National Police (INP) have participated in several international training programs and have attempted to commit more resources to drug interdiction.
The INP received much needed equipment, put more cops on the beat, and improved its relationship and interaction with NGOs dealing with drug users and rehabilitation. That said, only 288 officers are assigned to the Narcotics Detective Unit of Greater Jakarta, a city with a population of nearly fifteen million. Although this is a substantial increase from last year, it would not seem nearly enough to deal with the situation. Corruption also inhibits enforcement efficiency, as do severe resource constraints. Indonesia is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention.
Methamphetamine-type drugs continue to be the narcotics of choice among Indonesian drug abusers. These include methamphetamine, ecstasy and especially ice (crystal methamphetamine), also know as "shabu-shabu." Police (INP) and NGO statistics indicate an increase in the use of these and other narcotics since 2001. INP reports handling 1,206 methamphetamine, MDMA and or 'ice' investigations during CY 2001. By contrast, INP reports handling 1,550 such cases in CY 2002. Heroin, cocaine and marijuana use is also reportedly up 90 percent from 2000, although usage of these drugs still remains comparatively low among Indonesians. Compared to CY 2001, the INP has experienced a 41.6 percent increase in cocaine, heroin and marijuana investigations. All of these drugs are readily available in all major urban areas, including schools, karaoke lounges, bars, cafes, discotheques, night clubs and, in increasing numbers, certain neighborhoods and villages are becoming known for their tolerance of drug trafficking.
Marijuana continues to be harvested in North Sumatra, particularly Aceh. The INP alleges that the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), a separatist organization, traffics in marijuana domestically to support its insurgent operations. However, the INP has produced no evidence to support this allegation. Arrests for distribution and possession of marijuana have increased significantly throughout the archipelago.
The coordinator of the National Anti Narcotics Movement (Indonesian acronym: "GRANAT"), the most prominent drug prevention NGO in Indonesia, confirms that heroin use is on the increase, particularly in metropolitan Jakarta. The INP reports that the majority of heroin seized in Indonesia comes from Afghanistan, by way of Pakistan. Transit from Thailand to Indonesia is the most favored route, either Bangkok to Jakarta or Bangkok to Singapore to Jakarta. Nigerian organized crime groups control heroin trafficking to Indonesia. These traffickers use Indonesian and Thai females as couriers.
While some drugs are produced domestically, international trafficking still represents the most prolific source of illicit drugs. Burma is the primary source of ecstasy and methamphetamine. They enter Indonesia through any one of hundreds of entry points throughout its vast archipelago. None of these entry points, including Jakarta, have adequate detection or enforcement mechanisms. Neither the Airport Police, the Navy, nor the Directorate of Customs and Excise are trained, equipped, funded or otherwise adequately supported to deter or detect drugs being smuggled by air or sea. The same can be said of the entities responsible for domestic enforcement--they are not up to the challenge.
Cocaine also is being trafficked to Indonesia, with the INP reporting growing seizures of the drug in 2002. However, DEA Singapore believes the user base for cocaine within Indonesia is very small. Arrest, rehabilitation and hospital statistics also indicate that cocaine is not yet a drug of choice among Indonesian drug abusers. It is therefore possible that cocaine seized in Indonesia is being transshipped to other countries.
Policy Initiatives. Indonesia has not passed any new counternarcotics legislation since 1997. Nevertheless, Indonesia's current counternarcotics code is sufficiently inclusive to enable the police, prosecutors and the judiciary to successfully arrest, prosecute and adjudicate narcotics cases. The lack of contemporary detection, enforcement and investigative methodologies and technology, as well as endemic corruption, are the greatest hindrances to successful interdiction.
Law Enforcement Efforts. The National Narcotics Bureau (BNN) is tasked with coordinating the activities of the various Indonesian government agencies involved in drug related programs. The BNN also has the authority to form a joint task force made up of officers from other Indonesian law enforcement agencies, if the individual case warrants. Enforcement efforts focus on the airport, using sniffer dogs and some limited contemporary equipment to interdict narcotics.
The Indonesian Navy is trying to police Indonesian waters more aggressively, including drug enforcement and interdiction, among their objectives. The realities of resource constraints, and the formidable challenge of an island nation impose stark constraints on this effort.
The Indonesian District Court which handles drug cases has sentenced at least 21 drug traffickers to death since January 2000. None of the convicted has been executed yet.
Drug seizure statistics show seizures are almost random, while official reports indicate a growing drug abuse. This fact suggests the need for substantial improvements in Indonesia's efforts to constrain the flow of narcotics.
Corruption. Corruption is endemic in Indonesia and hinders the effort against narcotics. Government officials at senior levels are aware of the debilitating effects of corruption on many aspects of life in Indonesia, but are beset by many problems, and are unable to undertake the wide range of basic reforms necessary to have a significant impact on corruption.
Policy Initiatives. The U.S. supports improved law enforcement and administration of justice in Indonesia through several programs. In addition to USAID assistance, the State Department's INL Bureau funds a narcotics assistance program for the INP's narcotics branch, and funds a separate police assistance program supervised by the Department of Justice's International Criminal Investigative Training and Assistance Program (ICITAP). The INP also receives assistance from the Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) program run by the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security, with policy direction from the State Department's Office of Coordinator for Counterterrorism.
Hundreds of police officers have been trained with U.S. support. The U.S. Embassy in Indonesia has a senior U.S. police advisor to oversee the Department of Justice's ICITAP office, and to support the DEA Singapore Country Office's assistance to the INP narcotics branch. In addition, USAID assistance to Indonesia includes improvements in administration of justice among its objectives, with an effort focused on judicial/prosecutor training and reform.
The Road Ahead. Over the short term, drug abuse in Indonesia is likely to increase. The Indonesian government will respond to this challenge with the assistance of the U.S. and other international donors. The U.S. will continue to assist Indonesian efforts at police and judicial reform.