A Legal Analysis of the Impact of the ' Golden Triangle Zone' on the Circulation of Narcotics in Indonesia

Indonesia is a country that is severely affected by narcotics crimes, both as a transit country and as a destination country for illicit drug trafficking. One phenomenon that significantly contributes to the widespread circulation of narcotics in Indonesia is the existence of the so-called 'Triangle Zone'—a geographic region encompassing the border areas of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand (Golden Triangle), as well as the Afghanistan-Pakistan-Iran corridor (Golden Crescent), which are the world's largest producers of illicit narcotics. This article examines the legal impact of the Triangle Zone on the circulation of narcotics in Indonesia through normative legal research methods with a statutory and conceptual approach. The findings indicate that Indonesia's geographic position as an archipelagic nation with thousands of islands makes it highly vulnerable to drug smuggling activities originating from the Triangle Zone. The inadequacy of existing legal regulations, particularly Law Number 35 of 2009 on Narcotics, in addressing transnational narcotics trafficking networks emanating from the Triangle Zone requires strengthening through international legal cooperation. This study recommends enhancing bilateral and multilateral cooperation frameworks, improving law enforcement capacity, and strengthening legislative provisions to address narcotics trafficking originating from the Triangle Zone region.