KUCHING: The 984 drug enforcement operations carried out in January this year have successfully restricted 207,433 times of illicit drug and substance use and saved 51,786 individuals for the one-month period in Sarawak.
Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said for the whole of last year, 6,892 operations were carried out.
“These restricted 589,924 times of illicit drug and substance use and saved 147,480 individuals for the one-year period in Sarawak,” she said.
She was addressing a press conference on the One Stop Committee’s (OSC) monthly report on addressing drug and substance abuse (MIDS) for the month of January at the Baitul Makmur II Building here today (Feb 17).
“The success of these enforcement operations by the relevant agencies is important because all these drugs and substance seized will cut off the supply, be it among distributors or users,” she said.
According to the OSC MIDS January report, Sarawak recorded 712 cases involving 780 arrests relating to drug and substance abuse as a result of the 984 operations in January.
“Of this total, 43 cases involving 62 arrests were for the offence of supplying and distributing drugs and substances. From this, 15 cases involving 18 arrests were under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952,” said Fatimah.
She said the total number of arrests recorded since January last year under Section 39B was 170.
For the offence of possessing drugs and substances, she said there were 160 cases involving 209 arrests in January, compared to 2,425 arrests recorded since January last year.
“For the offence of positive urine drug tests under Section 15(1)(a), Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, a total of 427 cases involving 427 arrests were recorded in January,” she said, adding that the total arrests under this category since January last year were 7,774.
Through the integrated efforts of agencies under OSC MIDS and community policing involving ketua masyarakat and ketua kampung (KMKK) and neighbourhood watch programmes, Fatimah revealed more people were willing to come forward to provide information on drug and substance abuse to the police and other relevant agencies.
“If they do not report these cases, the users will continue to take drugs and this will affect their future and wellbeing of their families,” she said.
Fatimah also urged the Village Development and Security Committees (JKKKs) to protect their village residents, especially youths, from becoming victims of drug distributors and drug abuse.
“They have the initiative to protect their communities from Covid-19 and we want this same spirit to be used in addressing drug and substance abuse,” said the minister.
Commenting on the tagline for the National Anti-Drug Day ‘Lebih Baik Cegah’ (‘Better to Prevent’), she agreed that it was better to refrain from being involved in drug and substance abuse as prevention was better than cure.
Also present were Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Ministry permanent secretary Dr Rashidah Bolhassan, Social Development Council executive secretary Dr Zufar Yadi Brendan Abdullah, head of Sarawak Narcotics Crime Investigation Department ACP Jasmirol Jamaluddin and other representatives from agencies under OSC MIDS.
