KUCHING: Sarawak recorded a total of 692 cases of drug and substance abuse with 742 arrests in October this year.
This was revealed by Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah yesterday.
“The arrests were the result of 758 operations conducted by the police Narcotic Crime Investigation Division (NCID), National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) and Customs Department,” she told a press conference in conjunction with the One Stop Committee (OSC) Monthly Report to address drug and substance issues yesterday.
She also said that the number of cases recorded showed a decrease of 27.51 per cent from 1,087 cases in September.
Fatimah (centre) seen during the press conference together with Harden (left) and Rosey. — Photo by Roystein Emmor
In the monthly report, she said that the 692 cases recorded were divided into three categories – Drug Supply, Drug Possession and Urine Positive.
“A total of 22 cases involving 43 arrests were offences of supplying and distributing drugs and substances in the Drug Supply category while a total of 111 cases involving 146 arrests were offences of possession of drugs and substances, placed under the Drug Possession category.
“For urinary positive offences under Section 15 (1) (a) of Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, a total of 559 cases involving 553 arrests were recorded in Sarawak. These cases were placed under the Urine Positive category,” she said.
Apart from that, a total of 20,138.82 grams of various types of drugs were seized by narcotics enforcement agencies from Oct 1 to 30 this year.
“The recorded drug seizure for October is estimated at RM413,378.17 and showed a decrease of 46.89 per cent as compared to 37.9 kg in September 2020,” she added.
Fatimah also said 1,904 individuals in Sarawak, known as People Under Supervision (Orang Kena Pengawasan – OKP), were monitored by AADK in Sarawak as of Oct 30 this year, a decrease of 3.2 per cent compared to 1,967 cases in Sept.
She also said 84.4 per cent of the OKPs showed signs of recovery after attending treatment and drug-free sessions in Oct 2020.
So far this year, 10,201 arrests were made in Sarawak for drug and substance abuse as a result of operations, she added.
Kuching district recorded the highest number of arrests at 3,251 (31.8 per cent), followed by Miri district with 1,065 arrests (10.4 per cent), Bintulu district with 980 arrests (9.6 per cent), Sibu district with 830 arrests (8.1 per cent) and Samarahan district with 509 arrests (4.9 per cent).
Also present during the press conference were Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development assistant ministers Datuk Francis Harden and Datuk Rosey Yunus and other officials.