Jayapura, Papua, June 18 -- The Jayapura Naval Base (Lantamal X) in Papua has intensified patrols in Indonesian waters bordering Papua New Guinea (PNG) to curb the illegal transport of goods and illicit drugs, a senior naval officer said.

The smuggling of goods through the PNG-Indonesian waters "is on the rise", according to Chief of the Lantamal X's Patrol Ship Division Colonel Dedy Obet in his press statement here Wednesday.

To address the threat, Obet said his division has expanded the scope of routine maritime patrols and deployed quick-response teams to cover a wider area.

"These patrols are also focused on preventing the smuggling of marijuana from PNG into Jayapura, which poses a serious threat to our young generation," Obet sta...