‘Ice’ – nation’s number one enemy: Report

FORTY-FIVE out of every 100 drug addicts picked up by police are hooked on “ice” (crystal meth or syabu), making it the number one enemy of the country.

According to a report in China Press yesterday, police arrested 24,454 drug pushers last year, 15% more compared with the 21,184 picked up in 2016.

The top three drugs – ice, heroin and yaba (pil kuda) – accounted for 83% of the illegal drug trade in Malaysia.

Police statistics showed that ice, which has become the most popular drug among addicts in the last 10 years, accounts for about 45% of the domestic illegal drug trade, followed by heroin (27%) and yaba (11%).

Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Mohmad Salleh said the others on the illegal drug list are marijuana (6%), ketum leaves (5%), ecstasy (2%), Erimin 5 (2%) and ketamine (1%).

In an interview with the daily, he said ice has become the top choice among addicts in the country due to its high potency as a stimulant and relatively low price compared with other drugs.

On the government’s admission at the end of last year that the country’s anti-drug policy had failed, Mohmad said police have done their best.

He said the policy requires the participation and efforts of all the people to succeed.

The illicit drug problem is quite complicated and has many causes, Mohmad said, adding that police’s main role is enforcement, which is arresting pushers and addicts, whereas prevention and education have to be done by other agencies and involved all the people.