Datuk Aidi Ismail
KUCHING: People aged 30 years and under are more likely to be involved in drug abuse now which has changed from using conventional drugs to synthetic drugs, said Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Aidi Ismail yesterday.
He said 5,372 or 55.2 per cent of 9,739 arrests from January to November this year for various drug offences were from this group, according to the statistics of arrest of the Sarawak CID.
“The government has already declared drugs as the number one enemy of the country since 1983 but now, after 37 years have passed, the scourge has not only been fully curbed but it is even more serious,” he said.
He was speaking when officiating at the first Sarawak Police Contingent Level Drug Jihad (Struggle) Programme in Kampung Gedong, Simunjan, about about 89km from, here.
He said education was the best mechanism in dealing with the problem.
‘’This drug jihad programme is one of these mechanisms led by the police with the involvements of the National Anti-Drug Agency, local authorities and the Village Security Committees.
“This programme needs to be mobilised at all levels with all parties moving in an integrated manner in implementing prevention and enforcement programmes at target locations, namely, in high-risk areas according to local needs,” he said.
Aidi said through this programme too, via the network of co-operation between departments, all feedback and responses could be obtained immediately from the community members involved.
“Although eradicating it (drug abuse) completely is impossible, efforts to minimise the problem is a jihad that needs to be implemented by all walks of life and not just by handing it over to the authorities alone.
“The drug jihad is used as a term that states it is a serious and committed action in ensuring that hardcore addicts are reduced because they are the ones who influence teenagers and new addicts to take drugs,” said Aidi.
In the context of clearing Kampung Gedong from drug abuse, he said the police had planned to intensify operations and arrests at target locations.
Gedong assemblyman Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais, who is also the Assistant Minister of International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development Sarawak, was also present at the ceremony. — Bernama