‘Pil kuda’ poses danger to minors in Terengganu

KUALA TERENGGANU: Methamphetamine pills (pil kuda) from southern Thailand are flooding the east coast market and being sold for as low as RM5 each, making them affordable to schoolchildren.

However, the National Anti-Drugs Agency (Nada) is worried that the cheap, but inferior, pil kuda might pose more dangers, especially if consumed by minors.

Statistics from Nada in Terengganu revealed that 2,164 students from 53 secondary schools were referred for urine tests by the state Education Department on suspicion of drug abuse this year.

Of the total, 135 tested positive for drug abuse and 133 tested positive for pil kuda, while the remaining two took Eramin 5, a designer drug.

Nada senior assistant director Arzmi Abdullah expressed worry that pil kuda was getting cheaper for the same dosage.

He said one pil kuda of the same dosage was RM10 several years ago.

“It is known that some students have been recruited by drug pushers to market pil kuda to their school mates.

“Their reward is the pill itself. For example, for every 20 pills they sell, they would get one free. This is tempting for them.

“We are working with the Education Department to monitor drug abuse among students. We hope schools will cooperate by referring students for urine tests.

“We need to nip the problem in the bud,” he told the New Straits Times.

Of the 135 students, 28 were reported each in the districts of Dungun and Besut, followed by Setiu (21), Kemaman (20), Hulu Terengganu (17), Marang (16) and here (five).