A special task force to counter transnational crime will be established.

“My focus will be on combating transnational organized crime, which includes terrorism, drug and human trafficking, cybercrime, international scale economic crime and money laundering,” said Petrus, the former top official at the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), on Friday.

Given that Bali has the lowest crime rate, in some respects, in Indonesia, Petrus’ immediate priority will be to combat drug trafficking as Bali has become the hub for an international drug ring.

“I am concerned that Bali is not only a transit point but also the final destination for drug dealers. That explains why this will be my immediate priority,” he said, adding that a rehabilitation program will be implemented for drug users.

Petrus, a confidant of National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian, added that a counter transnational crime task force was needed because Bali had a unique position in Indonesia. “Bali is a window to the rest of the country. There are 35 foreign country representatives here, and it is a destination for millions of foreign tourists.”

He said Bali should not depend on the National Police headquarters to combat drug-related crime because a specialized response was necessary.

“Although Bali only has 4 million residents, there are 7 million domestic tourists and 4 million foreign tourists who come to the island every year. So, it means that the number of people on Bali is almost the same as Jakarta,” he stressed.

“I will start to decentralize the transnational crime system. It is important for Bali to minimize such crime from happening,” he added.

The task force, he said, will involve all divisions of the Bali Police. “They will exhibit strong coordination and handle all problems properly.”

He also ensured that the Bali Police had the necessary equipment. “Bali already has adequate equipment,” he said.

With regard to foreign tourists committing crimes, Petrus emphasized that the police would treat all criminals equally. “Local resident or foreign tourist, we will give every criminal equal treatment.”

Born in Manado, North Sulawesi, on Nov. 27, 1965, Petrus was officially inaugurated as Bali Police chief in Jakarta on Tuesday, replacing Insp. Gen. Sugeng Priyanto, who now serves as a director general at the Manpower Ministry.

Despite several high-profile crimes last year, crime records in Bali declined by 10 percent to 3,347 incidents from 3,740 in 2015.

However, there was an increase in the number of foreign nationals who were victims to crimes last year. The figure increased to 183 people from 112 in 2015.

Many crimes have also been committed by foreign nationals in addition to Indonesians. In 2016, at least 56 foreigners were perpetrators or suspects of various crimes, such as pedophilia, rape and robbery.

The figure, however, decreased from 237 foreign national criminals recorded in 2015.