Jakarta, July 22, 2025 – The Europe Today: Indonesia’s National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the Russian government are set to launch a joint capacity-building program aimed at enhancing the ability of BNN personnel to combat drug abuse and trafficking.
The initiative was discussed during a meeting between BNN Chief Commissioner General Marthinus Hukom and Deputy Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Veronika Novoseltseva in Jakarta on July 17, 2025.
In an official statement released on Monday, Hukom underscored the urgency of such collaborative efforts, citing alarming national statistics. “Indonesia recorded approximately 3.33 million drug abusers in 2023. The absence of serious countermeasures could have devastating consequences for the nation’s younger generation,” he warned.
Hukom confirmed that he will soon coordinate with relevant agencies to advance the proposed program.
The meeting also addressed growing concerns about the nexus between drug trafficking and terrorism. Hukom and Novoseltseva exchanged views on how terrorist groups are increasingly using drug trade proceeds to fund their operations. Both sides explored the possibility of cooperation in tracking and blocking financial assets linked to such criminal organizations.
Hukom was accompanied in the meeting by Agustinus Berlianto Pangaribuan, Head of the BNN’s Center for Research on Data and Information.
The BNN Chief also referenced recent findings presented during the launch of the 2025 World Drug Report in Jakarta on July 16. He noted that international drug syndicates have become more sophisticated, with a 24-percent increase in methamphetamine seizures reported across East and Southeast Asia in 2024 compared to the previous year.
“This trend is an alarm warning all countries in the region of a serious threat,” he emphasized.
On the domestic front, Hukom highlighted BNN’s achievements in 2025, which include dismantling 27 drug networks and seizing two tons of methamphetamine in Indonesia’s Riau Islands province in May.
He concluded by stressing that law enforcement efforts must be coupled with robust preventive strategies to more effectively address the escalating drug threat.
