<![CDATA[Abstract: Children used as narcotics couriers are often processed as offenders rather than recognised as victims of organised drug networks. This article examines how children are exploited as drug couriers in West Java, the factors driving their involvement, and the effectiveness of government legal protection and rehabilitation. Using a socio-legal (normative-empirical) method, it analyses the Child Protection Law, the Juvenile Criminal Justice System Law, and the Narcotics Law, alongside data from the West Java Police Narcotics Directorate and LPKA Bandung, as well as interviews with officers, LPKA officials, and children in narcotics cases. Victimology and Soekanto’s theory of legal effectiveness frame the analysis. Recorded cases involving children fell from 88 (2020) to 40 (2023), yet recruitment persists because networks exploit children’s perceived lighter liability and offer cash incentives, notably in Bandung and Bogor. The findings reveal three gaps in the state response. First, restorative handling often ends at family guidance without treatment for drug dependency. Second, LPKA Bandung provides education and basic healthcare but lacks specialised rehabilitation for dependency. Third, the Narcotics Law does not differentiate offenders by age, creating legal uncertainty, while released children return to unsupervised, drug-prone environments. Weaknesses lie mainly in legal clarity, supporting facilities, community support, and legal culture. The article recommends age-sensitive application of narcotics provisions, victim-oriented screening for exploitation, dependency-focused rehabilitation within LPKA, and post-release family and community supervision.]]>
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