BALINEWSID.COM, DENPASAR — The Bali Provincial National Narcotics Agency (BNN Bali) has raised serious concerns over the growing use of children and teenagers as drug couriers, stressing that law enforcement alone will not be enough to break the chain of drug trafficking.

Head of BNN Bali, Brigjen. Pol. Dr. Putu Putera Sadana, said prevention must be strengthened through parental supervision, early education and special protection for children involved in drug-related cases.

Putu said families serve as the first line of defense against children becoming involved in drug abuse or trafficking. Parents, he urged, must pay closer attention to their children’s activities and social circles at home, at school and in their communities.

“Parents must be more concerned and pay attention to their sons and daughters at home and in their surroundings, including at school, especially for children who are not yet adults,” Putu said in Denpasar on Monday (Aug. 17, 2026).

He also urged the public to report children suspected of using drugs or suffering from drug dependence. BNN Bali, he said, has an assessment team to determine appropriate treatment and intervention.

When children are suspected of being used as drug couriers, Putu stressed that their cases must be handled through cross-agency cooperation, involving the police’s Women and Children Protection Unit (PPA) and relevant government ministries.

“We cannot work alone in dealing with children who are allegedly involved in criminal acts,” he said.

Putu also warned that drug trafficking methods continue to evolve. Narcotics, he said, are no longer found only in conventional forms but may also appear in liquid form and be concealed in certain devices, including electronic cigarettes.

The development poses a new challenge for prevention efforts, particularly in educating young people about the dangers of narcotics.

BNN Bali is calling for drug prevention education to begin at an early age, with teaching methods adapted to the characteristics and level of understanding of each age group.

Putu said anti-drug education should be provided from kindergarten and elementary school through junior and senior high school and university. However, the language, materials, teaching methods and educational tools must be tailored to the age of the students.

“From elementary to junior high school, we need to provide education according to different age groups. Kindergarten, elementary school and junior high school are different. Even university students require a different approach,” he said.

BNN Bali is also developing a cross-generational approach, designed to reach different generations, including Millennials, Baby Boomers, Generation Z and Generation Alpha.

Putu emphasized that every generation must receive drug-related information that is educational, informative and objective.

“All generations must receive information that is educational, informative and objective,” he stressed.

Putu said BNN Bali would continue to pursue two approaches in breaking the chain of drug trafficking: prevention through public education and eradication through law enforcement.

However, when children become involved in narcotics cases, their treatment cannot simply be equated with that of adults. Child protection must remain a key consideration throughout the legal process.

“Adults and children cannot simply be treated in the same way,” he said.

Regarding a teenager previously arrested by the Bali Police in a narcotics case, Putu said he had yet to confirm whether the teenager had been referred to BNN Bali for assessment.

He said the case resulted from enforcement action by the Bali Police and that BNN Bali would need to verify the teenager’s subsequent handling.

“Once the teenager is referred to us for assessment, we will conduct it,” Putu said.

BNN Bali stressed that the use of children as drug couriers is a shared responsibility. Families, schools, communities and law enforcement agencies must work together to prevent children from becoming victims as well as links in the narcotics trafficking chain.