Pix by Mohd Fadli Hamzah
SEPANG: Various programmes and campaigns must be carried out to ensure the public do not fall victim to international drug syndicates.
Umno Welfare Bureau (BiKum) chairman Datuk Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said the bureau plans to share the experiences of former drug mules such as Nor Suzanna Azmi, 36, dan Noor Azimah Sapie, 38, to instill awareness among the public.
“When people are desperate, there some (international drug syndicates) who may capitalise on it to solve their problems.
“In this respect, we have to boost our efforts to raise the people’s awareness on this.
“We do receive requests from families (to help) who have their loved ones being held in prisons abroad,” he said when met at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport here.
Shamsul joined Nor Suzanna and Noor Azimah’s families in welcoming both women home after they were jailed in Peru for 12 and 10 years, respectively.
Plans to bring home those who had become victims of international drug syndicates started from efforts put in by BiKum, Wisma Putra and the Malaysian embassy in Peru with the help of its ambassador Chuah Teong Ban as well as Berita Harian.
He said efforts to bring home the two women started about two years ago after the two attended an event that was attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
The prime minister was meeting the Malaysian community during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in Lima, Peru in November 2016.
“It took quite a while to bring them home because it involved plenty of documentation, especially as both of them had married locals and had children.
“We had to settle the documentation processes of their husbands and children so that their families can enter and stay in Malaysia,” he added.
Shamsul estimated that it cost more than RM250,000 to bring the two victims home.