Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta.  The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) warned that the spread of new psychoactive substances (NPS) poses a serious challenge for law enforcement, as these synthetic drugs often fall outside existing regulations.

“To face this threat, BNN has adopted six comprehensive strategies, including strengthening collaboration, prevention, law enforcement, and rehabilitation,” said BNN official Muhamad Irham Anwar in a statement on Tuesday (19/8/2025), as quoted by antaranews.com.

Despite a slight decline in drug abuse prevalence in Indonesia, BNN noted that international syndicates still rely heavily on maritime routes for trafficking. Vietnam reported a similar problem, with authorities handling 11,687 narcotics cases in the first half of 2025, mostly supplied from the Golden Triangle region.

During a meeting between Indonesia’s BNN and Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security last week, both countries agreed to deepen cooperation through intelligence-sharing, joint investigations, stricter monitoring of narcotics production, rehabilitation exchange, and advocacy at regional forums, aiming to strengthen ASEAN’s collective vision of a drug-free region.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)