REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MEDAN -- The National Anti-Narcotics Movement (Granat) of North Sumatra has urged the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) to prevent smuggling of illicit drugs from China into Indonesia.

"Because, so far, large amounts of crystal methamphetamine from China have been smuggled into this country," Hamdani Harahap of Granat North Sumatra, said here, Sunday.

Chinese drug syndicates have also been operating in Indonesia to run illegal drug trafficking despite the government's ban, he said.

"It could be seen from the fact that many drugs were smuggled from China into Indonesia, and seized by personnel of BNN, the National Police, and customs and excise," he said.

He lauded BNN for establishing cooperation with the National Narcotics Control Commission of China (NNCC) to fight drug smuggling.

From this cooperation, BNN could monitor circulations of drugs from China and identify groups or syndicates involved in the drug smuggling activities, he said.

BNN could also compile data on Chinese drug mafia and their representatives in Indonesia as well as in other Southeast Asian countries, according to the NGO.

"Cooperation between BNN and NNCC should be intensified to fight drug abuse as well as trafficking in the two countries," he said.

Last Wednesday, Chairman of BNN Commissioner General Budi Waseso received a delegation of NNCC led by Deputy Secretary General of NNCC Lan Weihong.

Waseso and his guests discussed issues on intelligent information exchange to fight illicit drug smuggling.

Indonesia considers drug abuse to pose a real threat to the nation, as the country has over four million drug users.

According to the BNN, drug abuse is responsible for the deaths of 33 Indonesians, mostly young men every day.

Last year, BNN dealt with 807 illicit drug cases across Indonesia, with a total of 1,238 people arrested, including 21 foreigners. 

The agency also confiscated 6.2 tons of dried hashish, 1.16 tons of methamphetamine, and 765 thousand ecstasy pills.

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