[Marinir] [balidiscovery] Bali's Police Chief: A Declaration of War on Drugs

[Yap Hong Gie]

http://www.balidiscovery.com/messages/message.asp?Id=2588


A Declaration of War on Drugs
Bali's Police Chief Sees Ending Bali's Drug Trade as Essential to the 
Island's Survival.


(6/5/2005) Bali's Chief of Police, Irjen. I Made Pastika, recently told 
Reuters News agency "it's all out war" in the battle to rid narcotics from 
the popular resort island.

The comments, from the man named "Asian Newsmaker of the Year" by Time 
Magazine for his central role in the capture of the Bali bombers, follow 
closely on the recent sentencing of 28-year-old Australian, Shapelle Corby, 
to 20 years imprisonment for attempting to smuggle 4.2 kilograms of 
marijuana through Bali's airport.

Acknowledging that Bali's drug trade was in large part fueled by demand by 
foreign tourists, Chief Pastika insisted that his promised crackdown would 
not harm tourism, but was necessary to protect the welfare of both tourists 
and locals alike and needed to preserve the long-term reputation of the 
island.

Pledging to go after "the big bosses - both local and foreigner" the police 
chief told Reuters that "we are not just blindly catching the small suspects 
and the petty offenders."

Only Dopes Bring Dope to Bali

The Police General said that Bali will always welcome foreign tourists, but 
implored visitors, especially Australians, to not brings drugs to the 
island.

Admitting Bali's long association with marijuana and widespread drug dealing 
on beaches, streets and clubs, the head of the anti-narcotics division, 
Sutanto, said Bali's major drug problem remains the illegal trade in heroin 
and ecstasy. Most heroin found in Bali originates in the Golden triangle of 
insular Southeast Asia.

Bali's chief of police said his department is increasingly targeting 
trans-national crime, using police intelligence and closer cooperation with 
foreign police agencies. The double edge sword of intelligence operations 
and cross border cooperation will, according to Bali's top cop, make it 
increasingly difficult for drug dealers and those involved in sexual 
predation on under-age children to remain on the island.


More information: Editorial: Bali is Not the Problem, Drugs Are


© Bali Discovery Tours. Articles may be quoted and reproduced if attributed 
to http://www.balidiscovery.com. All images and graphics are copyright 
protected.