ALOR STAR: Police have arrested 10,642 people in connection with drug trafficking and possession in Kedah from January to September this year.
Kedah police chief Datuk Fisol Salleh said 2,199 were detained for drug trafficking cases, while the other 8,443 were arrested for drug possession.
Fisol attributed the arrests to numerous operations conducted in the state since January, including four national-level Op Tapis Khas, 14 state-level Op Tapis Khas, and 29 district-level Op Tapis Khas.
"A total of 349 offenders have been charged in court under Section 39(c) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, involving repeat offenders with violations under Section 15(1)(a) of the same act and charges under Section 3(1) of the Drug Dependants (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act 1983.
"For violations under Section 39(c) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, the mandatory punishment is five years imprisonment and one stroke of whipping.
"The Narcotics Department has also detained 59 suspects under Section 3(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act (Special Preventive Measures) 1985," he told a press conference at the state police headquarters here today.
He said police had seized RM5.99 million worth of drugs when the arrests were made.
"Additionally, assets totalling RM3.11 million, including vehicles, jewellery, and funds in bank accounts owned by the traffickers, have also been seized," he added.
Fisol also said police had disposed of approximately 100.48 kilograms of assorted drugs, estimated at RM 355,069.75.
These narcotics were associated with 2,687 cases that had been resolved, spanning from the year 2014 to 2022, he added.
"The disposed drugs include 6,148.09 grammes of Heroin and Morphine, Methamphetamine (2,563.65g), Cannabis (11,402.77g), Ketamine (113.23g), Eramin 5 pills (254.63g), Ketum leaves (80,000g), and liquid Ketum (50 litres)," he said.
In a separate case, Fisol said police arrested four men in connection with two separate armed robbery cases at 24-hour convenience stores.
In the first case, three men were arrested after robbing a store in Sungai Petani on Oct 21, while a man was detained for a similar offence at a store in Alor Star earlier today.
"We resolved the first case in less than 48 hours. We detained three individuals, who will be charged under Sections 395 and 397 of the Penal Code for armed robbery.
"In the second case, which occurred earlier this morning, a man was arrested and will face charges under Sections 392 and 397 of the Penal Code," he added.
He said all the suspects, aged 28 to 40, tested positive for drugs.
Fisol also pointed out that 270 robbery cases had been documented in the state since the beginning of the year.
However, he said 20 of these reported cases were ultimately determined to be false reports.
These misleading reports, he said, were related to lost identification documents and appeared to be an attempt to evade fines or penalties imposed by the Registration Department.
In response to this, Fisol issued a stern plea, urging the public not to make deceptive reports concerning lost identity cards or passports to avoid the consequences of their actions.
He emphasised that the police have taken decisive action against individuals responsible for these false reports, invoking Section 182 of the Penal Code to address this matter.