KOTA BARU: Drug supplies into Kelantan have dropped significantly despite a rise in drug-related cases, says state police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat.
He said the decline suggested that efforts to curb cross-border smuggling were beginning to show results, with fewer drugs believed to be entering the state from neighbouring countries.
Yusoff said a new strategic approach to tackling the state's drug problem had been implemented since July 15, alongside sustained enforcement operations.
"Although the number of cases has increased, the supply of drugs into Kelantan has dropped significantly.
"We conduct operations daily, and despite the high number of operations, drug supplies are becoming increasingly limited.
"This indicates that drugs from neighbouring countries are no longer entering Kelantan as freely as before," he told reporters after a town hall discussion here.
He attributed the decline partly to tighter border controls introduced in 2024, which he said had helped curb illegal activities, including drug trafficking.
Yusoff said police would continue to strengthen enforcement and work with other agencies to tackle the drug problem more comprehensively.
On efforts to prevent drug abuse among students, he said the matter had been discussed with the relevant authorities.
He said he was informed that the Selangor Education Department had worked with the National Anti-Drug Agency (Nada) to conduct urine tests on students.
However, he said it remained unclear whether the initiative could be extended nationwide, as police had yet to receive confirmation from the Education Ministry.
"Previously, we were instructed that students could not undergo urine tests. We will review the existing approach and examine whether the method used in Selangor can be adopted nationwide," he said.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said yesterday that four states — Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu — had recorded drug involvement rates above the national threshold.
Pendang in Kedah and Kuala Krai in Kelantan were the country's two highest-ranking districts, he said.
The figures were calculated based on the number of people involved in drug cases per 100,000 population, using an international standard adopted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
NST, News, Malaysia News, Kelantan, drug trafficking, drug supply, drug cases, Mohd Yusoff Mamat, police enforcement, border controls, cross-border smuggling, drug abuse, student urine tests, National Anti-Drug Agency, Nada, drug prevention, Kuala Krai, UNODC
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