Drugs: 200pc increase in govt staff involved
Published on: Wednesday, May 25, 2016
FIVE police personnel tested positive for drugs while two others were found in possession of drugs between January and April this year.State Narcotics Division Chief Supt. Mohamed Fadzil A. Rahman (pic) said other than the police personnel, two army personnel, one Prisons Department staff, one District Council staff, two members of Task Force and two each from the Health Department and Education Department also tested positive for drugs during the same period."This is an increase of more than 200 per cent from the same period last year where only seven arrests were made, namely three for positive urine test and four for drug possession," he said when met after the State Anti-Drug Action Council (MTMD) meeting in Tawau, Tuesday.
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In terms of students' involvement, he said 15 secondary students were roped in where 13 of them tested positive for drugs while the remaining two were found to be in possession of drugs. Between January and April last year, only one secondary student and two public higher institute of learning students tested positive for drugs."Overall, the number of drug possession cases during the first four months this year showed a decrease of 4.78 per cent compared to last year from 732 to 697."During the same period, police also arrested 4,151 suspects for testing positive for drugs, down from 4,271 suspects during the same period last year," he said.
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Fadzil also said police are closely monitoring various hotspots in Kota Kinabalu area, particularly Kampung Likas."Most of the drugs traded in the State are syabu and most of drug addicts are locals between the age of 18 and 35, all in the prime of their lives," he said.
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Nevertheless, police recorded a higher number of drug seized during the first four months of this year.According to statistics, 13,280.73gm of syabu were seized this year, compared to 13,223.75gm last year between January and April, cannabis down to 510.36gm from 982.69gm, heroin up to 1.6gm from last year's nil, ketamine up to 169.5 gm from only 5.98gm last year, ecstasy pills up to 540 from only five last year, eramin 5 up to 137 from only one and ketum juice, 1.5litre from none last year."I would like also to note that drug dealers and those who made their living off trading drugs would see their properties stripped if it was found that they bought these properties through their drug trades."This is already provided under the law and I am just reiterating here, that even if they hid their wealth under their names of their wives or girlfriends or cousins, parents, relatives, friends, we will still charge these people as accomplices and their properties taken away," he said.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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