New BNN Chief: ‘Slankers’ and Drugs Eradicator

Outside his job as a police officer, Heru loves to sing and play the saxophone. He has often performed on stage. His favorite song is rock band Slank’s “Ku Tak Bisa” (I Just Can’t).

Kompas/Wisnu Widiantoro

Insp. Gen. Heru Winarko recites his oath of office during his inauguration as the National Narcotics Agency head on Thursday (1/3) at the State Palace in Jakarta.

The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) has a new leader: Insp. Gen. Heru Winarko, who previously served as law enforcement deputy at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). He has also served as the Lampung Police chief (2002) and the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister’s expert staff on ideology and constitution (2015).

The two-starred police officer was born in Jakarta on Dec. 1, 1962. He graduated from the Police Academy in 1985. Before President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo inaugurated Heru as the new BNN head on Thursday (1/3) at the State Palace, National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian was said to have proposed three candidates as the new BNN chief. In addition to Heru, the two others were National Police Security Maintenance Agency (Baharkam) head Comr. Gen. Moechgiyarto and National Police Criminal Investigation (Bareskrim) head Comr. Gen. Ari Dono Soekmanto.