Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) plans to procure weapons and intelligence tools to eradicate illicit drug trafficking in Indonesia, an official has said.
BNN head Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso said his agency aimed to improve its facilities to catch up with the latest technology drug networks were using to operate their illicit business. The facilities needed included the latest generation of surveillance tools, X-ray machines and detectors, he went on.
Budi further said the BNN would procure firearms, including pistols, short-guns, assault rifles and bigger weapons that could break through containers or steel safety boxes. Bulletproof vests to protect BNN personnel deployed in antidrug operations will also be procured, he went on.
"Many threats have challenged our job. Technology has continued to develop and the [drug] mafias also have equipment that manages to avoid our X-ray machines. We should modernize our equipment since our enemies are drug dealers who have different capabilities," Budi said on Tuesday.
He said several BNN officials had identified the specifications of weapons and tools they might need. They also had carried out performance tests for several types of weapons to ensure quality.
He refused to go into specifics regarding the number of firearms the BNN would procure or the company from which the firearms would be procured, because the procurement depended on budgetary allocations for the agency. (ebf)