DELI SERDANG | INDATANEWS.COM - Deli Serdang Regent Asri Ludin Tambunan is strengthening cross-sectoral cooperation to safeguard the coastal area while preventing drug smuggling through maritime routes. The measures are particularly significant given Deli Serdang's approximately 65-kilometer coastline, which directly borders the Strait of Malacca.
Asri Ludin Tambunan reaffirmed the commitment on Monday, September 14, 2026, during a meeting with the Commander of the Patrol Unit of the Indonesian Navy's Maritime Area Command I (Satrol Kodaeral I), Lieutenant Colonel (Navy) P Soni Wibisono, along with representatives of the
Deli Serdang Regency National Narcotics Agency (BNNK
Deli Serdang).
The meeting discussed a number of strategic measures, including strengthening maritime security, developing the economic potential of coastal areas, improving food security, and intensifying efforts to prevent and combat drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking (P4GN) in Deli Serdang Regency.
Strengthening Coastal Protection and Maritime Security
During discussions with Satrol Kodaeral I, the Deli Serdang Regency Government discussed measures to strengthen maritime security in an area that directly borders the Strait of Malacca. Satrol Kodaeral I expressed its readiness to support the regional government through available naval units and maritime patrols to help maintain security.
The cooperation is not limited to security matters, but also opens opportunities to develop coastal resources and strengthen food security. One of the key issues discussed was the planned utilization of approximately 900 hectares of land in Paluh Kurau to support the development of regional food security.
The Deli Serdang Government is also promoting the development of a so-called blue economy, including through soft-shell crab farming. The program is intended to maximize the potential of coastal areas while creating new economic opportunities for local communities.
Asri Ludin Tambunan, accompanied by several relevant government agencies, welcomed the planned cooperation. He also reaffirmed the regional government's support for a program to develop new rice fields. The initiative is expected to expand productive agricultural land and strengthen food security in
Deli Serdang.
"We will implement this together. We have also prepared the community with heavy equipment for the development of new rice fields. The available land must become more productive and benefit the people," he said.
In his view, optimizing existing land resources must go hand in hand with improving the welfare of the community. The regional government will work to ensure that available land not only has economic value but also provides direct benefits to people living in surrounding areas.
Strengthening coastal security is also increasingly important because maritime routes could be exploited by drug networks to smuggle narcotics into Deli Serdang. The regional government therefore considers cooperation with the Indonesian Navy an important step in restricting the ability of drug traffickers to use maritime routes.
"We especially ask our colleagues in the Indonesian Navy to support the regional government's efforts to prevent drug smuggling by sea. Our coastline is approximately 65 kilometers long," he said.
CIVIL SERVANTS READY FOR DRUG SCREENING: Deli Serdang Regent Asri Ludin Tambunan expresses his readiness to support drug screening among state civil servants (ASN) as part of early detection efforts to prevent drug abuse within the Deli Serdang Regency Government. (PHOTO: Edi Saputra)
Early Detection of Drug Abuse Among Civil Servants
In addition to securing the coastal region, the meeting with BNNK Deli Serdang also addressed efforts to strengthen the P4GN program. The regional government and BNNK Deli Serdang plan to expand prevention measures, including the early detection of drug abuse among state civil servants (ASN).
Asri Ludin Tambunan emphasized that efforts to establish a drug-free and integrity-based administration must begin within the government institution itself. He expressly stated his readiness to support drug screening among ASN as part of early detection measures.
"If we want to make improvements, we really have to start with ourselves. I am open to screening for ASN," he stressed.
The commitment is part of efforts to strengthen drug-abuse prevention within the government administration. The regional government hopes the initiative will help create a healthier working environment while strengthening the role of civil servants in supporting the fight against drugs in society.
On the same occasion, the Deli Serdang Regent also expressed his readiness to follow up on the instruction of the Governor of North Sumatra concerning the prohibition of electronic cigarettes or vapes within the Deli Serdang Regency Government environment.
The measure has also come into focus because
BNNK Deli Serdang has identified an increasing trend involving the misuse of narcotics in liquid form. Such substances can potentially be mixed into vape liquids and subsequently consumed, including by young people and members of the working-age population.
This development has prompted the regional government and BNNK to further strengthen public education, monitoring and prevention efforts. The goal is to prevent drug abuse from spreading through new patterns of consumption that could particularly target younger generations.
COMMITMENT TO THE FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS: Head of
BNNK Deli Serdang Police Commissioner M Fadris Sangun Ratu Lana reaffirms BNNK's commitment to strengthening cooperation with the regional government in combating drugs. (PHOTO: Edi Saputra)
Expanding Kampung Bersinar and Anti-Drug Education
Head of
BNNK Deli Serdang Police Commissioner M Fadris Sangun Ratu Lana praised the
Deli Serdang Government's commitment to combating drugs. In his assessment, various law-enforcement measures and support from the regional government can be further developed through stronger cross-sectoral cooperation.
"We have seen the Regent's commitment to the fight against drugs. The various measures and forms of support that have already been implemented can be further expanded together," he said in closing.
BNNK
Deli Serdang also presented several programs that are expected to be strengthened to improve drug-abuse prevention among the public. These include strengthening Kampung Bersinar, integrating an anti-drug curriculum known as IKAN, and establishing the SPEKTA program.
The SPEKTA program was established at SMP Negeri 2 Lubuk Pakam and is part of efforts to create an educational environment that is more resilient to the threat of drug abuse.
Strengthening these various programs demonstrates that the fight against
drugs in Deli Serdang does not rely solely on law enforcement. The regional government, together with BNNK and Indonesian Navy units, is also working on preventive measures in government institutions, educational facilities, communities and coastal areas.
The cross-sectoral cooperation is expected to help restrict narcotics entry routes, raise public awareness, and create a safer and more productive environment. With support from various stakeholders, Deli Serdang aims to integrate coastal security and the fight against drugs with efforts to improve the welfare of its people. (IDNC)
REPORTER:
Edi Saputra | EDITOR:
Fik Sagala