The regent of Badung would like the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) to get more candid cameras rolling in Kuta’s backstreets after a recent raid in the regency turned up a meth lab. Badung is in south Bali and contains Bali’s most crowded tourist areas.
Regent I Nyoman Giri Prasta says the results of the drug raid show that BNN needs to more aggressively combat trafficking in the region.
Four were reportedly arrested during the raid on Tuesday at the ‘meth factory’ in Kerobokan, including one German person, who had been contracting the house where the lab was set up.
“We appreciate BNN’s performance, because they successfully raided the house in the area of Puri Wahana housing complex in Banjar Semer, capturing four drug suspects, one of which is a German citizen,” Prasta said on Wednesday, as quoted by Tribun Bali.
A number of spots in Badung are prone to the drug trade, especially Kerobokan, because the prison is there, Prasta said, though it appears he wants to focus surveillance on Kuta, which is likely the more common area for “sales.”
“We encourage raids on nightclubs in Badung, also intensified efforts to fight drug trafficking,” he added.
Prasta said one of the ways the regency will be amping up the fight against drugs is pouring some budgeted funds into installing CCTV in points of interest, like the gangs (alleys) in Kuta.
“The installation of CCTV will happen the side streets in Kuta, in an effort to anticipate the illicit circulation of drugs.”
Working more closely with Immigration is another way Prasta hopes to keep the area’s drug trade under control, by monitoring drug-baking foreigners.
“We also need to cooperate with the immigration office. Because, there are many cases of ‘tourists’ who have tourist visas, but start to work in the area of Badung,” Prasta said.
“We do not want to miss it, if there are any foreign tourist who come to Badung under the pretext of being on holiday, but it turns out they’re producing methamphetamine during their stay.”
