Indonesian Migrant Workers Warned Against Drugs

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Chief Commissioner General Anang Iskandar of the National Narcotic Agency (BNN) has warned Indonesian migrant workers abroad against accepting drugs and other items entrusted to them by unfamiliar people.

"The Indonesian migrant workers abroad should focus on earning money for their families at home and should not get involved in drug syndicates," Iskandar noted in a press statement on Monday.

Acquainting Indonesian migrant workers in Hong Kong with the dangers of drugs, the BNN chief shed light on the various modus operandi used by drug syndicates for recruitment, and tips on what they should do to anticipate it.

Iskandar expressed hope that the migrant workers would increase their understanding and awareness of the dangers of drug circulation and not be easily tempted by lucrative wages offered by drug syndicates.

He remarked that of all the drug cases unveiled by the BNN, some of them are related to smuggling and involved Indonesian migrant workers abroad, especially women.

Among the destination countries of migrant workers, Hong Kong is one of the countries often exploited by international drug syndicates to recruit Indonesian migrant workers as couriers for trafficking illicit materials.

According to the Indonesian Consulate Office, some 28 migrant workers are currently residing in Hong Kong, and 53 were involved in drug-related legal cases in 2014.

Therefore, Iskandar emphasized the importance of providing information to Indonesian migrant workers on the legal repercussions of being involved in illicit drug trafficking. He also pointed out that Indonesia is currently in a state of drug emergency. (WDY)