SHAH ALAM – Fifty-six drug syndicates have been busted by police from the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (JSJN) across the country, with 217 individuals arrested in the first two months of this year.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador said in the arrests, over 76 tonnes of various types of drugs and 9,752.46 litres of liquid drugs valued at RM245.22 million, as well as 61 tonnes of ketum leaves worth RM671,165.80, were also seized.
He said that among the syndicates’ modus operandi since last year until February this year was using sea routes, as this let them ferry drugs in large quantities.
“The other methods are using courier services by concealing drugs in basic essentials and prayer items and hiding behind the transportation sector that delivers daily necessities using lorries, and through e-hailing,” he added.
Hamid said the number of arrests made and the amount of drugs worth millions of ringgit seized each week shows that the threat of drug addiction in the country was still high.
“That is why we want to stop drug supply, especially at entertainment joints, because these are where the drugs are sold to the patrons, and that is also why in many police raids, 95% of (the patrons) are found to be positive for drugs from the urine tests done,” he added.
Hamid said he fears that if no additional enforcement efforts were made, Malaysia could be a tourist destination favoured by drug addicts as these drugs are available everywhere in the country.
“Therefore, I have asked and appeal to the government for additional manpower for JSJN as the threat is widespread and not just concentrated in Klang Valley, but (present) from Perlis to Sabah,” he said at a news conference here today.
Hamid said JSJN has asked him for 15,000 additional posts, but in the short-term, 2,500 could be sufficient to strengthen the department, and discussion between the Public Service Department and police on additional manpower required is still ongoing.
Earlier, he said another drug smuggling syndicate from Thailand was busted with the arrest of three men aged between 37 and 42 in a raid on a house in Kajang, Selangor, by Bukit Aman JSJN on March 17.
He said in the raid, 26 plastic sacks of syabu weighing 673.20kg were seized from the house, and police found another 12 sacks of the same drug weighing 309.85kg in a lorry parked in front of the house.
“The amount of drugs, estimated to be worth over RM35 million, could be used by 4.915 million addicts,” he said, adding that the syndicate is believed to have been active since early this year.
Hamid said the three men arrested were believed to have been bringing in the drug via Kelantan for the Klang Valley market, and police were now tracking down the syndicate boss.
The three, who already have a criminal record, tested positive for methamphetamine and were remanded for six days from March 18.
The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. – Bernama, March 22, 2021
