Negeri Sembilan police seized drugs worth RM19.4 million and arrested 3,642 individuals in the first six months of the year.
SEREMBAN: Negeri Sembilan police seized various types of drugs worth RM19.4 million in drug trafficking and possession cases during the first six months of this year, with methamphetamine, cannabis and ketamine accounting for the largest seizures.
State police chief Datuk Alzafny Ahmad said police also arrested 3,642 individuals for various drug-related offences, including 626 suspected traffickers, an increase of 13% from 555 during the corresponding period last year. Meanwhile, 1,204 individuals were arrested for drug possession, up 11% from the same period last year.
“Of the 626 arrested, 97 were detained under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, while 36 were held under the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969. Most of them were masterminds, planners and financiers of drug syndicates, and were arrested at various locations, including entertainment outlets and drug-processing laboratories.
“Most of those arrested were Malaysians from various age groups, including civil servants, the self-employed and the unemployed. We do not rule out the possibility that some foreign nationals were also among those detained,” he said at a press conference after a drug disposal exercise here today.
He said arrests for drug abuse, based on urine screening, dropped to 1,811 individuals compared with 2,354 during the same period last year.
Meanwhile, police initiated action under the Dangerous Drugs (Forfeiture of Property) Act 1988 to forfeit assets worth RM1.1 million linked to drug traffickers.
Meanwhile, he said police today disposed of various types of drugs and drug-processing equipment worth RM2.08 million, involving 685.5kg of drugs and 149.9 litres of liquid substances, including heroin, cannabis, methamphetamine, ketamine and ketum juice, linked to 2,184 investigation papers dating from 2001 to this year.
He said the Negeri Sembilan Contingent Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department would carry out the disposal by transporting all the exhibits to Kualiti Alam Sdn Bhd in Bukit Pelandok, Port Dickson.
“This year’s disposal exercise involves exhibits from all districts in Negeri Sembilan. The drugs and related items were seized during police operations and have completed all court proceedings,” he said.
In a separate development, he said police have stepped up enforcement at 26 hotspots and 19 flashpoints across Negeri Sembilan in conjunction with the state election, where untoward incidents could potentially occur.
Of the 26 hotspots, 11 have been identified in Seremban, followed by five each in Jempol and Tampin, three in Nilai, and two in Rembau.
“The hotspots were identified based on assessments of previous elections as well as the latest evaluations by the Special Branch, enabling police to deploy officers and personnel in advance and seek reinforcements from other contingents should any incidents occur,” he said.
A total of 4,800 officers and personnel would be deployed statewide, with an additional 1,373 officers and personnel from Bukit Aman to assist. They will be stationed at polling centres from the final days of the campaign until several days after polling.
He also reminded all parties to refrain from raising issues related to the 3Rs – race, religion and royalty – during the campaign, as such matters could trigger tensions and undermine public order.
Meanwhile, he said the state police have also deployed 700 officers and personnel to assist Johor police in maintaining security during the Johor state election this weekend.
