Police say marked increase in traffickers arrested in Sarawak in first quarter of this year
KUCHING: Forty-two people in Sarawak have been arrested for trafficking in dangerous drugs in the first three months of this year.
They could face the mandatory death penalty under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department Director Datuk Seri Mohmad Salleh said this was an increase of 68 per cent in the number of people arrested this year in the state compared to the corresponding period last year.
In the first three months of last year, 25 people were arrested for trafficking in dangerous drugs, he told a media conference at the Sarawak Contingent Police headquarters here yesterday.
Mohmad revealed that for the whole of last year, 110 people were arrested for the offence under the same Act.
Meanwhile, under Section 39A (2) of the Act which carries life imprisonment, 18 people in the state were arrested from January to March this year for drug trafficking.
Forty-nine people were arrested for the whole of last year under this Section.
Mohmad said 185 people were arrested from January to March this year for drug trafficking under Section 39A (1) of the Act as well. For the whole of last year, 378 people were arrested under this Section.
For possession of drugs, an offence under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, 245 people were arrested in the first three months of this year against 1,528 people arrested for the whole of last year.
Under Section 6 of the Act, 25 people in the state were arrested for trafficking from January to March this year. Fifty-one people were arrested under this section the whole of last year.
Mohmad added that under Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act, seven people were arrested in the first three months of this year. For the whole of last year, 49 people were arrested under this section.
He said 1,580 people were arrested for taking drugs from January to March this year. A total of 4,669 people were arrested for the offence for the whole of last year.
Sarawak police also arrested 17 people in the last three months under the Dangerous Drugs (Special Measures Act) which calls for them to be banished to Simpang Renggam in the southern half of Kluang District, Johor.
For the whole of last year, eight people were banished to Simpang Renggam.
From January to March this year, Mohmad said ectasy pills topped the list of drugs seized at 2957.93g. For the whole of last year, 372g of the pills were seized in the state.
In the first three months of this year, 2,883.89g of syabu were seized compared to 15,130.64g for the whole of last year.
Police also seized 1,080g of ganja in the first three months of this year compared to 18,180.22g for the whole of last year.
Mohmad said 181.30g of ketamine were also seized in the first three months of this year compared to 1,056.45g for the whole of last year.
Police seized 126 Ermin 5 pills in the first three months of this year compared to 3,199 pills for the whole of last year. They also seized 311 Nospan pills from January to March this year compared to 3,538 pills for the whole of last year.
The police chief said the value of property seized in the first three months of this year amounted to RM888,574 compared to RM489,210 for the corresponding period last year.
He urged all government agencies and members of the public to help police in the fight against drugs.
