Jakarta – Masinton Pasaribu, a member of the House of Representatives' Commission III on legal affairs, has backed the National Anti-Narcotics Agency, or BNN, in its fight against drug abuse among public figures.
The comments were prompted after Gatot Brajamusti, chairman of the Indonesian Film Artists Association (Parfi), was arrested after allegedly using drugs with several of his colleagues.
"We should appreciate the actions taken against drug users. We appreciate the firm law enforcement against narcotics," Masinton said on Thursday (01/09).
Masinton, a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said the efforts should be expanded to netting distributors and suppliers.
"Don't be satisfied by just arresting drug users. We should remember that the chain of narcotic networks is very wide, so we should not let them escape," Masinton said.
The arrests of the artists has triggered suspicion among the community that the arrests were made mainly to divert from the issue of distribution and trafficking.
"The arrests on the artists are important, but there is the greater task in unveiling larger syndicates. The drug distribution and victims have increased annually, meaning the large dealers and supplier networks are still untouched," Masinton said.