Heavy Duties of BNN Head

Possibly a number of people are asking why Heru was chosen as the BNN head, and not another figure who has a clear track record on fighting drugs. The question is reasonable.

Kompas/Wisnu Widiantoro

Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso (center) and his successor Insp. Gen Heru Winarko (left) pose for a photograph before Heru’s inauguration as National Narcotics Agency head by President Joko Widodo at State Palace in Jakarta on Thursday (1/3). Heru, who is a former investigation deputy at the Corruption Eradication Commission, replaces Budi Waseso, who is entering the mandatory retirement age.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has appointed and installed Insp. Gen. Heru Winarko as the new head of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), replacing Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso.

Budi Waseso, nicknamed “Buwas”, entered the mandatory pension age on Feb. 28, 2018. During his tenure as the BNN head, Buwas embarked on an aggressive fight against the trafficking of illicit drugs (narcotics and dangerous drugs) in Indonesia, which had been declared as an emergency since 1971. In his last case, Buwas uncovered a large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering operation involving Rp 6.4 trillion (US$640 billion). This deserves appreciation.