JOHOR BARU: Johor police's war against drugs saw 219 police officers, including its rank-and-file policemen from its 13 districts headquarters, conducting checks on identified drug-activity hotspots statewide.
Under the two-day Op Tapis, police arrested 432 suspects for various drug-related offences, including 54 suspects on their wanted person list.
Police also seized 10 vehicles, various valuable items and RM472,468.
The operation against drugs, codename Ops Tapis's main objective is to crackdown on drug-related activities, targeting narcotic hotspots, namely in Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) settlements, People's Housing Projects (PPR), low-cost housing areas, fishing jetties, drug dens, and other locations notorious for drug distribution and abuse.
Op Tapis, held between March 4 and 6, saw the policemen screening and inspecting 524 people.
They arrested 432 suspects for various drug-related offences.
Among them, 52 were suspected for trafficking narcotics, 72 were found with drugs in their possession, while 308 were tested positive for drug abuse.
Johor police chief Commissioner M. Kumar said among the suspects arrested included 14 foreigners aged between 18 and 71.
Kumar said 38 suspects were repeat drugs offenders and are investigated under Section 39C of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. Under Section 39C of the act, the offender must be caught for drugs for a third time before the provision takes order.
Police seized RM571,793 worth of drugs, including 6,000g of Ecstasy in powder form, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana, 4,456 Ecstasy pills, 1,308 Erimin5 pills, 445 yaba pills, ketamine, as well as ketum leaves and in liquid form.
The drugs could potentially satisfy the addiction of 32,814 addicts.
Kumar said they were aggressively taking action to combat the drug scourge and maintain prevention measures under the Dangerous Drugs Act (Special Prevention Measures) 1985 against drug traffickers.
He added that between Jan 1 and March 6, police arrested 66 suspects under restrictions or detention orders, and they will be held at the rehabilitation centre for two years.
During the same period, 154 suspects were subject to action under Section 39C of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which aims to reduce drug abuse activities by removing drug dealers and addicts from society through imprisonment for a period ranging between five and seven years.