inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Head of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Marthinus Hukom said the public must be educated intensively to prevent them from getting entangled with illegal activities involving drugs.

"In addition to law enforcement efforts, strengthening or improving the mentality of people so that they are not tempted to become the drug couriers with the lure of large sums of money from the dealers is also one of the ways," said Marthinus.

He revealed that eradicating drugs has many challenges, one of which is because there is still a culture or mentality in society that thinks becoming drug couriers is a highway to getting rich.

Another factor that makes it easy to lure the people into becoming drug couriers, he continued, is the difficult economic conditions.

"Drugs actually have no monetary value because they are poison, but in reality, economic motives influence people to become couriers as they get a decent amount of money from the proceeds of the sale of these illicit goods," said Marthinus Hukom.

He added that to help people not to be easily trapped by the culture or basic thinking that is already taken root, the BNN is now actively building economic resilience for the community, especially in areas or border routes between countries that are the gateways for the illicit circulation of narcotics.

"BNN is actively building economic resilience for the community through positive activities, while also improving their mentality or morals so that they are not tempted to become couriers," said Marthinus Hukom.

(ad/ndt/pr/nm)