‘Close collaboration between ministry, stakeholders leads to increase in drug arrests, seizures’

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THE Royal Malaysia Police Narcotic Crime Investigation Department have conducted 3,196 enforcement operations in the state as of September, this year, with 7,104 people arrested under Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. – File photo

THE Royal Malaysia Police Narcotics Crime Investigation Department have conducted 3,196 enforcement operations in the state as of September, this year, with 7,104 people arrested under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

This is an increase compared with 2,734 operations carried out last year that led to the arrest of 6,834 people and 2,085 operations in 2017 that saw 6,953 people arrested under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said the close collaboration between her ministry and relevant stakeholders as well as strategic holders had resulted in the upward trend in the number of arrests and seizures for those involved in drug abuse.

“Drugs and substances abuse have always been associated with social issues such as crimes, dysfunctional family institutions, sexually transmitted infections and mental health issues,” she said during her winding up speech at the State Legislative Assembly today.

As of September 2019 this year, she said more the RM5 million worth of the drugs had been confiscated by the authorities and 56 drugs peddlers had been arrested under the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act 1985.

Under Dangerous Drugs (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act 1983, Fatimah said 923 people had been arrested as of August this year, compared with 694 people arrested in 2018 and 470 people in 2017, for a total operations of 1,037.

“The success of all those efforts are due to strong collaboration and partnerships that we have established with the various relevant agencies who have continuously support our Ministry in the war against drug and substance abuse,” she said.