Kelantan police recorded a drop in drug cases and arrests following increased enforcement operations and tighter border controls from January to September.
KOTA BHARU: Kelantan police conducted 32,699 drug-related enforcement operations from January to September this year, an increase of 0.7 per cent from the 32,460 operations recorded during the same period last year.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said the increase in enforcement operations coincided with a decline in cases investigated under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and the Poisons Act 1952, which fell to 18,045 from 20,476 previously.
He said the number of arrests also decreased to 19,746 during the first nine months of this year, down by 1,844 or 8.4 per cent compared with the corresponding period last year.
The value of drugs seized in the state also fell by 44 per cent to RM17.25 million from RM30.79 million over the same period.
Mohd Yusoff said sustained enforcement efforts and tighter border controls were among the measures taken by police to curb drug trafficking and smuggling.
“Based on statistics from January to September, 8,351 individuals were arrested for offences related to the trafficking and possession of various types of drugs,” he told Bernama recently.
He said the Jihad Dadah (War on Drugs) campaign implemented in the state had shown positive progress, with public support helping police combat drug-related activities.
Mohd Yusoff stressed that raising public awareness of the link between drug abuse and various crimes, particularly property-related offences, was crucial to making efforts to eradicate the drug menace more effective.
He said Kelantan police would continue to intensify enforcement operations and take firm action against drug offenders to curb the distribution and abuse of illicit substances, in the interest of public safety and well-being.