Increased processing labs make drug fight difficult

KUALA LUMPUR: The increasing number of drug-processing labs in the country is among the factors impeding the fight against the drug menace.

Deputy Home Minister, Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman told Parliament yesterday that previously, narcotic drugs were mainly brought from outside the country, but now more were being processed in the country.

“Today, we know that there are lesser conventional drugs but new synthetic drugs sometimes appear almost every day and this makes it difficult for us.

“There are drugs that really look like Panadol tablets and other medicines given out by our hospitals,” he said in his reply to Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed (PHJeli) who asked on the effectiveness of measures taken to curb the drug menace, including the pil kuda (methamphetamine) in Kelantan.

Mohd Azis said police frequently conducted raids on drug-processing labs across the country in combating drug addiction.

“These raids have been a success but for every five drug labs raided,10 will sprout up like mushrooms after rain, and this is a constraint for us,” he added.

Mohd Azis said the drugs seized nationwide from January until August this year were estimated to be worth RM162.35 million, while 425 people were arrested at the border areas between 2013 and August 2018 for drug trafficking, with 39 of them charged under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

“During the current year from January until August, police arrested 47 people, with four of them charged under the same section of the act.” - Bernama