Fatimah presents an appointment letter to Mohammad Razi as deputy chairman of the OSC, as Zufar looks on.
KUCHING (Feb 24): A total of 998 arrests were made in Sarawak in January this year for drug-related offences, a 31 per cent increase compared with the same month in 2021 with 760 arrests, said Social Development Council executive secretary Dr Zufar Yadi Brendan Abdullah.
Kuching led all the districts with 221 arrests, followed by Sibu (113), Bintulu (90), Miri (78), and Samarahan (60).
Zufar also said 568 enforcement operations were conducted by the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department, Customs Department and National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) last month.
“A total of 998 individuals were arrested, with 114 of them involved in drug distribution, 220 for drug and substance possession and 664 for being tested drug-positive,” he told a press conference at the Ministry of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development office in Baitulmakmur Building II, Petra Jaya yesterday.
He said about 1.01kg of illicit drugs worth RM544,000 was seized and with possibly 10,164 times of usage being prevented, while stopping 2,540 individuals from getting involved in drug abuse.
“The increase in the amount of illicit drugs seized reflects that we do not want Sarawak to become a transit point for drug distribution to neighbouring countries.”
For the whole of last year, 5,741 enforcement operations were conducted and 7,516 arrests made.
A total of 684 of them were involved in drug distribution, 1,860 were caught in possession of drug and substance, and another 4,972 were tested positive for drug abuse.
Kuching led with 2,005 arrests made, followed by Miri (658), Sibu (614), Bintulu (600) and Samarahan (495).
Zufar said the number of arrests made in 2021 had dropped by 34.31 per cent compared with 11,442 arrests made in 2020.
A total of 272.76kg of drugs were seized last year, worth about RM21 million.
He said 2,034 individuals were undergoing treatment for drug addiction as of January this year, an increase of 2.52 per cent from December’s figure of 1,984.
He also said that One Stop Centre for Addiction (OSCA) would be set up in seven new health clinics in Lawas, Betong, Subis, Dalat, Bau, Bintulu and Sibu districts.
Zufar added that 97 individuals involved in drug abuse had received treatment at the OSCA in 2021, with 14 individuals coming forward to receive treatment at the centre last month alone.
There are also seven Community Development and Intervention Centre (CDIC) in Kuching, Bau, Miri, Sibu, Limbang, Dalat and Subis.
Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, meanwhile, urged enforcement agencies not to work in silo.
She said a comprehensive and integrated action plan must be formulated to tackle the drug menace.
“Our strategy this year is to be more aggressive in our awareness campaign to urge the public to stay away from drugs. It will be a targeted approach focusing on hotspot districts,” said Fatimah.
Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Mohammad Razi Sitam has been appointed as deputy chairman of the state One Stop Committee (OSC) for tackling drug and substance abuse.
Acting Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mancha Ata and Sarawak Narcotics Crime Investigation Department head ACP Jasmirol Jamaluddin were among those present at the press conference.