KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia yesterday denied it was holding off on the distribution of needles and condoms to drug addicts because of opposition from Islamic religious groups. Health Minister Chua Soi Lek said the program was crucial to contain the spread of HIV/AIDS. "The staff have to be trained and educated properly before this program can be introduced," Mr Chua said, national news agency Bernama reported. The media reported yesterday the program had been put on hold after some Islamic groups said it would give the impression that the authorities condone drug use and casual sex. Mr Chua said a pilot project to supply needles and condoms to 1200 intravenous drug users in four cities - Kuala Lumpur, Johor Baru, Penang and Kuantan - would start in january. [end]
The involvement of children in drugs is rising -- even involving trafficking, which carries the death penalty. According to police statistics, 49 schoolchildren were arrested for drug-related offences from January to May. Of the number, five are suspected of involvement in drug trafficking. This rise was due to the lucrative nature of the drug trade, said ACP Abdul Halim Abdullah. "Schoolchildren become pushers to get rich fast," said Halim, who is the Federal CID principal assistant director for intelligence. Criminals are also taking advantage of the law as minors are protected against being sentenced to death. Halim said the changing lifestyle of youths has contributed to the rise of schoolchildren being in possession of drugs. [end]
When a group of former drug addicts proposed a programme to inculcate positive values among youth early this year, many were sceptical. However, with the help of Kuantan Umno Youth and the Smallbike Club, the former addicts managed to organise the monthly programme. "It may not be as popular as Akademi Fantasia, but more youth are joining our mini concert every month," said Drugs Intervention Centre (DIC) president Rahman Bakar. DIC was set up by former addicts to help drug addicts stop their habit voluntarily at their two shelters here. [continues 130 words]
Drug smugglers are using various tricks to avoid being detected by enforcement agencies, including using fancy names when referring to different kinds of drugs, a senior Narcotics Control Bureau officer revealed yesterday. Citing the fact that 219 people have been arrested until May this year including 43 women, Awg Pungut B. Hj Besar, Senior Narcotics Officer 1 of Education and Drug-Prevention branch of the Narcotics Control Bureau, said for instance the popular drug 'Syabu' is also referred to as 'Nasi Lemak' (coconut milk rice), Ajino Moto, 'Batu' (rock), 'Gula Batu' (granulated sugar) and 'Lauk Puteh' (white fish). [continues 345 words]
Sekolah Menengah Sufri Bolkiah in Tutong district recently held an anti-drugs forum, exhibition and caning demonstration as part of the Drug Abuse Prevention and Education Programme this year. Students from Form Five heard talks presented by a panel of various government departments including Counselling and Career Guidance Section, Department of Schools, Ministry Of Education; Health Promotion and Education, Ministry Of Health; Narcotics Control Bureau, Prime Minister's Office; Public Relations Section, Royal Brunei Police Force; Attorney General's Chamber and the Prisons Department. After a question and answer session, a presentation of mementoes was given to the panel of speakers. The Prisons Department ended the forum with a live caning demonstration. [end]
A carpenter was sentenced to death by the High Court here for trafficking about 1.6kg of cannabis four years ago. Ahmad Saidin, 57, was found guilty of committing the offence at his house in Kampung Air Melong, here, about 4.30pm on June 11, 2001. Judge Datuk Hasan Lah said the defence had failed to prove that the cannabis found on Ahmad was not his. He also said that the prosecution had proven the case beyond any reasonable doubt. Ahmad had claimed trial to the charge, which was brought under Section 39B (1) (a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction. Deputy Public Prosecutor Azeezi Nordin prosecuted. Defence counsel Syed Fakhruzzaman Syed Mansor said he would appeal against the High Court decision. [end]
Lai Chaw Keong, 35, was convicted of drug trafficking in 1997 and sentenced to death in 2000. Five years on, he is still languishing on Death Row. The reason: The High Court, which convicted him, has yet to hand down a written judgment on his case. Until this is done, Lai cannot appeal against the sentence. His distraught mother, Gan Ean Yau, 53, lives a daily life of anguish knowing that her son is "wasting away in prison". "This does not mean I want to see my son executed quickly," she said. [continues 158 words]
KUALA LUMPUR -- Police are aware that drug traffickers are using the postal service to deliver drugs. Federal Narcotics Department director Datuk Mohd Najib Abdul Aziz said the practice is a seasonal tactic. "They have been sending drugs this way for quite some time and will stop whenever it is discovered. They will then change to other means to deliver the drugs," he said today. Najib said it is difficult to determine if packages sent by post contain drugs. "X-ray machines only reveal the form of the package and not its content, and Pos Malaysia deals with thousands of consignments everyday." He said the police randomly check packages sent via mail and would act on information from the public. "We've always had a close working relationship with Pos Malaysia and the Customs Department in ensuring that their services are not abused." [end]
PETALING JAYA: The needle exchange and condom distribution programme to check the spread of HIV among drug users is expected to start in January. Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said his ministry has decided that the harm reduction programme, involving the two methods and drug substitution therapy, will go ahead. "The earliest we can begin is in January. There are many people to train. And I have been told that in terms of amending the law, it can be done administratively," he said yesterday. [continues 480 words]
The Deputy Prime Minister wants government departments to screen all staff regularly for drugs. Pos Malaysia Datuk Seri Najib Razak also urged department heads to keep a look out for staff who show "disturbing" symptoms. "Department heads must be alert and ask those who show such signs to undergo a urine test," he said. Najib's call comes in the wake of a recent discovery by the management of a factory in Pahang that some 20 per cent of its staff tested positive for drugs in spot checks. "This should be a model for other factories," he said when opening Pemadam's 30th annual general meeting at the state secretariat here last night. [end]
KUALA LUMPUR - The number of Malaysians taking methamphetamines such as syabu has more than doubled. Pos Malaysia According to National Anti-Drug Agency statistics, 5,893 people were picked up last year for using these drugs compared to 2,763 in 2003. The number of those caught taking party drugs such as Ecstasy and MDMA also rose from 165 in 2003 to 213 last year. [end]
A multisectoral approach is needed to fight the disease with the rising numbers of cases, Malaysian AIDS Council president, Marina Mahathir, tells Jeswant Kaur MALAYSIA would not be on the brink of a HIV/AIDS epidemic if we had paid more attention to the early warning signs. Instead, a reluctance to confront the problem head-on and a false sense of security have resulted in the recent World Health Organisation warning that the country is at the initial stage of a HIV break out. [continues 1054 words]
HSBC presented a donation worth B$9,000 to the Anti-Narcotics Bureau at the Prime Minister's Office. The t-shirts that were handed over to the bureau is in support of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking to be held at The Mall this Sunday. The contribution was presented by Mr Guy Priestley, Chief Executive Officer of HSBC, to Acting Director of Anti-Narcotics Bureau, Awang Haji Abdul Majid bin Mangarshah, at the bank's main office in Bandar Seri Begawan yesterday. [continues 114 words]
TODAY is International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1987, this day serves as a reminder of the goal agreed upon by UN Member States of creating an international society free of drug abuse. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) selects a theme for the International Day each year and launches a year-long campaign to raise awareness about the global drug problem. The theme for 2005 is: "Value yourself ? make healthy choices". Of late we have been reading in our local papers about the growing number of drug abuse fatalities in youngsters, professionals and non-professionals alike. Unfortunately, many mixed messages are out there. On the one hand, you may see a commercial encouraging you to keep away from drugs of abuse. The next minute, you might be watching a movie where the character thinks drugs are cool. [continues 1386 words]
An Indonesian lorry driver was yesterday sentenced by the High Court to 15 years' jail and ordered to given 10 strokes of the rotan for having 980.3gm of cannabis five years ago. Mohamed Nor, 40, admitted having the drug in Jalan PJS4/27B, Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya about 5.40pm on July 13, 2000. The charge under Section 6 and punishable under Section 39A (2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 carries a jail term of between five and 20 years, and whipping of not less than 10 strokes. [continues 93 words]
The leading agency in Brunei protects locals from deadly substances. The war against drugs is one that has long been fought by nations across the globe in hopes for a drug-free world and of protecting people from such deadly substances. Although total eradication of illegal drugs seems implausible, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, of which Brunei Darussalam is a member, remains nevertheless resilient in its efforts. The International Day against Drugs Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26 will carry the theme of "Value Yourself, Make Healthy Choices". [continues 419 words]
Last Saturday afternoon, the 'Anti-Drugs Action Team' of Sekolah Menengah Sayyidina Husain with help from Pembimbing Rakan Sebaya (PRS) organised a kite flying competition at the school field. A total of 52 people - comprising students, teachers and school staff - took part in the competition, which was held in conjunction with the school's annual anti-drugs campaign. The event was officially launched by Ustaz Hj Kassim bin Hj Tapa, the Deputy Principal III of Sekolah Menengah Sayyidina Husain. According to Cikgu Asmishah bte Hj Alimatersad, the kite flying competition was to raise awareness on the dangers of drug abuse, where each participant was given a quiz consisting of five questions relating to drug abuse issues. [continues 98 words]
Eradicating drug abuse among youths in Felda land schemes will be one of the main objectives of the State Government over the next few years. Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said the State Security Council would discuss measures to deal with the menace at its next meeting. Chief among them is the need for the police to increase their presence at the land schemes and the need to cut off the drug supply line by going after traffickers. "We are aware of the worrying number of Felda youths involved in dadah," he said after closing a seminar on professionalism at the Felda Academy in Felda Bukit Goh near here today. [continues 56 words]
A total of 150 undergraduates from 43 institutions of higher learning recently took time off from their studies to attend a drug prevention forum. Organised as a joint collaboration between Help University College, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Association Malaysia (UNAM), the one-day forum served as a platform for youth to brainstorm and find solutions to the drug problem. UNDP Resident Representative for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Dr Richard Leete provided an overview of the HIV/AIDS problem and the drug-related situation in Malaysia and globally. [continues 176 words]
KOTA KINABALU - Drug abuse and distribution in Sabah have escalated to a level serious enough to require the co-operation of everyone to combat the menace, Sabah Umno's Anti-Drug and Social Ills Bureau chairman Datuk Bung Moktar Radin said. He said this includes the co-operation of school principals and teachers to apprehend unwanted elements inside the school premises. Bung Moktar said school security guards and teachers have the right to apprehend anyone who has no business to be in the school compound and believed trying to sell drugs to students. [continues 53 words]
In an effort to tackle drug abuse and its related social issues in the nation, the Narcotics Control Bureau together with the Tutong District Office yesterday organised an Anti-Drugs Programme and whipping demonstration for the residents in the district. With the theme "Masyarakat Perkasa Bangsa Bermaruah", the event was held at the official residence of the Tutong District Officer, Awg Abd Mutalib bin Hj Md Idris, who was also the guest of honour at the function. The function began with the reading of Surah al-Fatihah and doa selamat, followed by the opening remarks from the chairman of the ceremony, Awg Mohd Jaffari bin Hj Mahadi, Acting Assistant Director of the Drug Prevention Education Unit. [continues 384 words]
PUTRAJAYA, Wed. - Urine tests will be carried out regularly in all schools in another attempt to weed out drug addiction. And parents have been urged not to be upset if their children are among those picked at random for the drug checks. Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Noh Omar said today the move was necessary to curb drug addiction. Speaking after closing a Biro Tatanegara motivational programme for schools in Putrajaya at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Putrajaya Dua here, he said 374 students tested positive for drugs last year. [continues 197 words]
Brickwall In Drug Trafficking Cases PUTRAJAYA, Mon: Prosecutors are coming up against a brick wall in drug trafficking cases. Archive Since 1991 In many cases, the suspects they hope to send to the gallows are getting away with lighter sentences for the less serious offence of possession. The reason: A Federal Court ruling in February that the prosecution had to prove positive and affirmative possession in order to invoke presumption of trafficking. Today, Court of Appeal judge Datuk Abdul Kadir Sulaiman suggested that the Attorney-General recommend to the Government that the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 be amended. "We are prepared to stand by if the laws are amended," he said, noting that the dadah problem was the number one threat in the country. [continues 510 words]
TWO operators of a popular nightspot in Malacca have been charged with allowing drugs to be consumed in their disco. Archive Since 1991 This makes them the first club owners to be brought to court since Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Noh Omar directed the police early last month to enforce Section 13(C) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. There is no doubt that this addresses a previous anomaly in the execution of the law against drug taking and trafficking where action was only taken against the patrons but not the operators. [continues 390 words]
PETALING JAYA, Sat. -- Simon Pok remembers mostly three things from the last 12 months: smoking syabu, being angry and driving fast. Archive Since 1991 It was a bad combination, which saw him ramming his car into drivers who did not get out of his way in the fast lane. Sometimes he would overtake them instead, and slam on his brakes to force them to stop. Angry drivers confronted him, but all backed off when faced with a screaming, swearing youth in a drug-fuelled rage. [continues 846 words]
PUTRAJAYA: Drug abuse and sex crimes are the main problems afflicting Malay youths and there is a need to focus on finding solutions for these issues. Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad gave his opinion on the problems plaguing Malays in the country in an hour-long meeting with members of Umno Youth at his office at the Perdana Leadership Foundation yesterday. "They asked to speak to me and I gave them my opinions and why there is this need for us to focus on resolving these issues among the Malay youths," he told reporters later. [continues 157 words]
S.S. Yoga Finds Out Why an Exotic Tree Has Been in the News for The Wrong Reasons. A CERTAIN tree is getting scientists excited because of its medicinal and drug-related properties. The authorities, on the other hand, are rather displeased about the effects this tree or more accurately its leaves have on people. What is the fuss about? The tree, locally known as ketum or biak or scientifically, Mitragyna speciosa, is found mainly in Perlis and Kedah and the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Ketum also grows in Thailand (where it is called kratom) and the Philippines, while other Mitragyna species are found in India and Africa. [continues 879 words]
KUALA LUMPUR: The drug problem in the country is at a " dangerous level" and continues to be a menace to society, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said. Abdullah, who launched the Karnival Enam Jahanam (Six Evils Carnival) anti-drug campaign last night, said the fact that there were a high number of youths involved in drugs was worrying. "Drugs are a big danger to our country. In 2004, there were 38,672 addicts, of which 28,052 were between the ages of 19 and 30 while another 1,255 were between 13 and 18. [continues 206 words]
KUALA LUMPUR: Drug kingpins and syndicate members are investing their ill-gotten gains in blue-chip shares and upmarket properties. City police narcotics department chief Asst Comm Othman Harun said they had seized properties and assets worth a staggering RM14mil from several drug syndicate bosses and members during operations conducted last year. "Bungalow houses, shares and luxury cars were among the assets seized from 40 drug kingpins and syndicate members. "The syndicates had also invested their ill-gotten gains in shares in blue-chip companies, including government-linked ones,'' he added. [continues 191 words]
Kota Kinabalu: Police will invoke a new legal provision to charge repeat addicts in court in future instead of sending them to rehabilitation centres, Sabah Police Commissioner, Dato Mangsor Ismail said Wednesday. He said for the repeat addicts, police would invoke the new provision, namely Section 3 of the Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA). "Previously, we arrest and send them to rehabilitation centres, but now with the availability of Section 3, we can arrest and take them to court. "The court can impose appropriate punishment and they need not be sent to rehabilitation centres," he said. [continues 298 words]
KUALA LUMPUR: For at least RM30 a day and a free cellphone, schoolchildren and teenagers are working for drug distribution syndicates as their lookouts. City Narcotics Department head Asst Comm Othman Harun said police discovered that the syndicates recruited schoolchildren and teenagers for the job following the arrests of 1,024 people, including syndicate heads from the San Peng flats area. "From our investigations, we found that they took in children as young as 13 years old. Their main function is to inform the syndicate when there is police presence in the distribution area," ACP Othman said here yesterday. [continues 170 words]
ALOR STAR: When soccer players take their half-time break during football matches, a five-minute video clip on the dangers of drug abuse will be screened on the scoreboard. This would be the scenario at future matches under a plan by the National Anti-Drug Agency. Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Noh Omar said his ministry, which oversees the agency, would work with the Youth and Sports Ministry to start this anti-drug drive as many youths watched football games. [continues 112 words]
Kota Kinabalu: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said police will be stepping up surveillance and patrolling, including in housing estates, to counter the increase in crimes lately. "This was decided today. The State Government will go all out to support security forces in combating crimes and reduce them as much as possible," he said, after chairing the State Security Committee's first meeting this year at Wisma Innoprise in Likas, Thursday. "The Government is sensitive to the concern of the people who are worried about the escalating major crimes, especially in the City area," he said, adding the overall security in Sabah was under control. [continues 375 words]
X WAS 16 years old when his parents divorced. It was a trying period prior to that as there were frequent arguments and uncertainty in the air. Because of his parental problems X had problems focusing in school and did poorly in his Form 3 exams. There were many things X wanted to tell his parents, but he hadn't the chance. They were too engrossed in their own problems. He resorted to talking to a friend in school whose parents were also divorced. [continues 1071 words]
IPOH: A hotelkeeper and an unemployed man were sentenced to death by the High Court here on Friday after they were found guilty of trafficking 40.45gm of heroin 10 years ago. Ma Hon Ching, 57, and Bee Song Chua, 56, were calm when sentence was passed by Justice Abdull Hamid Embong. They were found guilty of trafficking in the drug at about 11.55am on Feb 3, 1994, at a stall at the Ipoh bus station at Jalan Tun Abdul Razak here. [end]
A Malaysian national was sentenced to death by hanging by the Brunei High Court yesterday for possessing a compressed slab of cannabis weighing 922.276 grammes for the purpose of trafficking. His compatriot, who was jointly charged, however escaped the noose. Under the Brunei law, possessing more than 600 grammes of a controlled drug carries the death penalty. The defendant, Lam Ming Hwa, who is the second defendant, was found guilty after trial for possessing the said drugs by the Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Mohammed Saied and Judge Dato Paduka Steven Chong. [continues 432 words]
PUTRAJAYA: "Green lanes" at the country's entry points are up for review after the Customs Department foiled yet another attempt to bring in drugs through this facility at the KLIA -- the fourth in two weeks. Among the changes to be considered under the review is the revoking of this facility. Deputy director-general (prevention) Abdul Rahman Abdul Hamid said the department caught a Taiwanese woman, 30, trying to smuggle in 9,980 Erimin-5 pills worth some RM150,000 through the green lane at KLIA on Friday. [continues 366 words]
KUALA LUMPUR: Itching and trouble urinating are some of the uncommon signs that parents should look out for if they suspect their teenagers are abusing drugs, said substance abuse expert Chris Sekar. Sekar, who is Gleneagles Intan Medical Centre Behavioural Counselling Centre psychotherapist, said the usual warning signs include changes in behaviour, sleeping and eating patterns. "But parents should also be aware of physical changes because drugs like amphetamines and heroin heighten sensation, so the person may experience excessive itching. "Most people high on drugs will also take some time to urinate, as drugs constricts muscles causing difficulty in urinating," he said yesterday. [continues 165 words]
PENANG: Eighty-three traffickers have been arrested under the Dangerous Drugs Act (Special preventive laws) 1952 in the state in the first nine months this year and were banished, state CID chief Senior Asst Comm II Syed Ismail Syed Azizan said yesterday. "The police also seized more than RM1.6mil worth of property comprising houses, jewellery and vehicles, which were bought using money obtained from the sale of illicit drugs, from the traffickers. He added: "A total of 406 drug pushers and traffickers were also charged under Section 39A and Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 during the same period." [continues 176 words]
One Of The Participants At The Oratorical Contest The National Anti-Drug Association (BASMIDA) will continuously try to deliver its anti-drug message to the community by organising various activities in its effort to create awareness on the dangers and misuse of drugs especially among school students. Among the activities organised was an oratorical contest (Pertandingan Pidato) among secondary schools including Form Six centres in the country. The finals of the contest will be held on October 9 at the UBD Multi Purpose Hall. According to Datin Hajah Masni binte Haji Mohd. Ali, President of BASMIDA, the contest is organised with the cooperation of the Schools Department and Brunei Speakers Club, sponsored by IDBB which carries the theme: "Tanpa Penyalahgunaan Dadah, Negara Teguh." The oratorical contest was also held in conjunction with the United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which is also in line with the National Day celebration this year. [continues 76 words]
"Education is the best way to protect against drug abuse," said Pehin Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Ghani bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Dewa Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Rahim, the Managing Director of Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. He said this during the prize presentation ceremony for several anti-drug competitions for Primary and Secondary schools. With the cooperation of the Narcotics Control Bureau, Royal Brunei Police Force and other government bodies, a unit has been established under the Ministry of Education to tackle the scourge of drug abuse amongst students. [continues 189 words]
A prize presentation ceremony was yesterday held at the SOAS College in the capital to award the winners of the Anti-Drug Campaign 'Sculpture' competition. Gracing the event was Managing Director of Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah cum guest of honour Pehin Orang Kaya Putera Maharaja Dato Paduka Awg Hj Abd Ghani bin Pehin Dato Pekerma Dewa Dato Paduka Hj Abd Rahim, who presented recipients their prizes. The competition was held with the objective of allowing the nation's youths to express their understanding of drug abuse and its effects through artistic channels. [continues 70 words]
KUALA LUMPUR: Waiting constantly for free handouts of food and personal items was what eventually turned Ma Kong Loi away from a life of drugs and wrongdoing. Ma, 44, from Bentong, Pahang, started smoking at 14 while still in school. Soon after, he was involved in gangsterism and was expelled from school when he was 15. He was on marijuana by then. When he was 33, he was sent to the Pusat Serenti rehabilitation centre in Raub. There, he met a visiting pastor who asked him if he needed anything. [continues 476 words]
IKIM Views With Mazilan Musa First of all, I would like to wish all readers a Happy New Year. May 2004 bring peace and prosperity to the world and this country. Thus far, in addition to physical development, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is also serious in wanting to enhance the quality of life, physically and spiritually, for all Malaysians. One of his priorities is to create a safer environment for the populace. However, I think it is also the wish of the nation to see the Government more involved in cracking down on a more serious problem - the drug addicts and the danger they bring. There is evidence that drug addicts are still terrorising the country. They are everywhere, from the peaceful villages to the busy cities. [continues 719 words]
I READ the article, "Get tough with drug addicts" by Mazilan Musa, Senior Fellow and Director of the Institute of Islamic Understanding (The Star, Dec 24) with an equal degree of interest and alarm. Interest in the emotional appeal and the proposals forwarded for solving the problem associated with drug addiction and alarm at the lack of basic knowledge and information on the problem. Let us first be very clear on the scope of the drug addiction problem. There are both the demand and supply dimensions. [continues 358 words]
SITIAWAN: Drug addicts are now resorting to injecting drugs into their heads for faster effect, said Deputy Home Minister Datuk Zainal Abidin Zin. The private parts are another area where addicts inject drugs to enable them to escape undetected by the authorities, he added. "These are two new methods of injecting themselves with drugs apart from the conventional way of injecting the arm which the authorities have discovered," he said in his speech when closing the anti-drug awareness campaign at Felcra Lekir here yesterday. Zainal Abidin, who is also National Anti-Drug Agency chairman, said following the discoveries police had been directed to carry out full body checks on all suspected drug addicts. [end]
KUALA LUMPUR: Police have crippled two syndicates which have been distributing drugs in the Klang Valley with the arrest of seven people and the seizure of 120 slabs of ganja earlier this week. The suspects, aged between 23 and 52, were detained under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drug Act 1952, for having 117.01kg of ganja, with a street value of over RM163,814. The suspects have been remanded for 14 days. Initial investigations revealed that the suspects got their supply from the same supplier in the northern region. [continues 220 words]
DRUG addiction is like a roller-coaster ride into hell. It launches addicts into an orbit of illusions and of false euphoria and then plunges them back into the cold abyss of reality. When the "joyride" comes to a halt, it is replaced by withdrawal symptoms that often lead to disruptive behaviour. For example, addicts will experience extreme anxiety, restlessness, nausea or vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, cramps, violent kicking and insomnia. Despite continuous efforts by the country's 28 government rehabilitation centres to nip drug addiction in the bud, this social menace is becoming a garden of weed. In the first quarter of 2003 alone, there were 13,519 drug addicts recorded in the country. Of that number, 48.6% were relapse cases. Statistics from the National Drug Agency showed that heroin users total 5,162, which is the highest tally among the different substance abuse users. [continues 924 words]
KOTA BARU: A 57-year-old fisherman was sent to the gallows after he was found guilty of trafficking in more than 500gm of cannabis two years ago. In passing the sentence against Mijan Mohd Deros yesterday, High Court Justice Sulaiman Daud said the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that Mijan had the intention to sell the cannabis and he had exclusive control and knowledge of the drug. He added that the court could not accept Mijan's testimony that he was a drug addict and the cannabis was for his own consumption. [continues 154 words]
KUALA LUMPUR -- Police busted three drug distribution syndicates in the Klang Valley with the arrest of 13 suspected traffickers and seizure of 11.5kg of heroin in separate operations recently. The dadah could fetch almost RM5 million. Federal Narcotics Department deputy director Senior Assistant Commissioner (I) Datuk Mangsor Ismail said the suspects, aged between 19 and 40, were arrested on May 12 and 13. In the first raid, police inspected a Perodua Kancil at the Hotel Maluri car park in Cheras about 10pm on May 12. Police seized 6.8kg of heroin and detained its two occupants. An hour later, police detained another man in Taman Sri Batu Caves. [continues 98 words]
Inside Malaysia
