KUALA LUMPUR: Eleven drug hotspots in the city were being closely monitored by the National Anti-Drugs Agency (Nada).
In an attempt to fight the menace, Nada officers will be stationed at identified places, with Sentul as the most critical, followed closely by Cheras.
Also in the list were Taman Maluri, Bandar Tun Razak, People's Housing Project (PPR) such as Pudu Ulu and Tun Razak as well as the flats, said Nada director-general Datuk Suhaimi Abdullah.
"Indicators such as the number of addicts being monitored, the number of complaints and new addicts identified will be used to categorise these hotspots," he said.
“The men will be placed in those areas around the clock," said Suhaimi.
He said in 2013, there were 13,481 new drug addicts while between January and November last year, the number of new addicts is 10,547.
In an operation held yesterday, Nada picked up 69 people, aged between 15 and 68 in Cheras.
The four-hour operation saw about 30 officers divided into several teams to pick up those who were involved with drugs offences.
“Thirty-two people were detained under Section 3(1), 22 were detained under Section 8(3) of the Drug Dependants (Treatment And Rehabilitation) Act 1983 while 14 others were detained under Section 6 (2) of the same Act,” Suhaimi said.
He said 26 of the detainees were tested positive for morphine, 17 on cannabis, 10 amphetamine-type stimulants while another three were positive for methamphetamine.