KUCHING: Sarawak recorded 1,267 drug-related cases from 1,359 arrests last month.
Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, who revealed this, said that this was the result of 905 operations carried out by the state narcotics police, National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK), and Royal Malaysian Customs Department.
“Fifty-one cases resulting from 78 arrests involved supplying and distributing drugs and substances. Of these, 12 cases involving 14 arrests were under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.
“For the offence of possession of drugs and substances, there were 189 cases involving 252 arrests,” she said at a press conference on the One Stop Committee’s (OSC) monthly report on addressing drug and substance abuse for the month of August at the Baitul Makmur Building here today.
Concerning positive urine drug tests under Section 15(1)(a), Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, she said that 865 cases from 843 arrests were recorded in Sarawak last month.
She said that under the Drug Dependants (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act 1983 (Amendment 1998), Sarawak recorded 158 cases involving 182 arrests resulting from 82 operations carried out by AADK Sarawak.
She noted that the number of arrests for the categories of drug supply, possession and positive urine tests showed a decline of 12 percent, two percent, and five percent respectively last month compared to July.
Emphasising the negative impact of drug and substance abuse on family and community wellbeing, Fatimah said that on Sept 21, there was an incident in Kampung Rampangi here where an elderly woman was found dead as a result of being stabbed several times in the face with a sharp weapon, allegedly by the victim’s grandson.
“Preliminary screening found that the suspect’s urine was positive for methamphetamine and he was in a trance when arrested by police,” she said, adding that past records found that the suspect had been arrested twice last year for drug-related criminal offences.
“This situation clearly shows that drug abuse especially methamphetamine can cause a person to lose self-control,” she stressed.
She urged all parties to work together to combat drug and substance abuse activities in Sarawak.
“The public can channel information on drug and substance abuse activities through Whatsapp to JSJN’s hotline at 012-2087222 and AADK’s hotline at 019-6262233,” said Fatimah.
