KUALA LUMPUR: The home ministry is stepping up digital intelligence, border control and inter-agency cooperation to curb synthetic drug trafficking in Sarawak amid increasingly sophisticated tactics employed by drug syndicates.
Deputy home minister Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said other measures involved monitoring digital platforms, social media, courier services and e-hailing services, which syndicates were exploiting to distribute drugs, including to remote areas of Sarawak.
He said Sarawak’s geographical expanse and extensive land, sea and air borders made it challenging for enforcement agencies to curb drug smuggling and prevent drugs from entering the state.
"The home ministry has identified several factors contributing to the proliferation of synthetic drugs, including lower processing costs, easy access to precursor chemicals and syndicates’ ability to exploit online platforms.
"We are strengthening our forensic and technical intelligence capabilities to tackle the emergence of new psychoactive substances and respond to evolving trends in synthetic drugs," he said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was responding to a question from Chong Chieng Jen (PH-Stampin) on the underlying causes of increasing drug abuse, particularly involving synthetic drugs, in Sarawak’s cities and towns, the effectiveness of police enforcement, and plans to strengthen efforts to curb the problem.
Shamsul said statistics from the police's narcotics crime investigation department (NCID) showed that Sarawak recorded 9,602 cases and 9,924 arrests between Jan 1 and Aug 31 this year, compared with 7,488 cases and 7,790 arrests during the same period last year.
He said the number of arrests increased by 2,134, or 27.4%, while drugs worth RM50.1 million were seized, compared with RM58.78 million throughout 2025.
"In 2025, a total of 12,716 cases and 13,187 arrests were recorded, up from 9,992 cases and 10,378 arrests, representing a 27% rise from 2024," he said.
Shamsul said the NCID dismantled 270 drug syndicates nationwide in 2025 and would continue to cripple their financial networks and strengthen cooperation among the relevant agencies.