1,182 suspects arrested, over RM370K of drugs seized

KUCHING: Police here arrested a total of 1,182 individuals and seized over RM370,000 worth of drugs in the first half of this year.

Kuching police chief ACP Ahsmon Bajah said the suspects were taken into custody for various narcotic offences such as trafficking and abuse.

He said based on their studies, about 85 per cent of the suspects arrested for crimes such as housebreaking, vehicle thefts, robberies and more, have records under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

From January to June this year, police have opened a total of 1,146 investigation papers under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

“Of the figure, 952 cases, involving 963 arrests, are already prosecuted in court. For repeat drug offenders, police have prosecuted 28 individuals under Section 39C of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

“Apart from that, police also seized a total of 3,069.26g of various drugs, including 1,661 Erimin 5 pills and 708 psychotropic pills, valued at RM370,547.80,” he said at a press conference yesterday (July 10).

Ahsmon added that there are five hotspots where police frequently conduct operations to stem drug distribution and abuse activities, namely, Samariang, Rampangi, Bintawa, Tabuan and Ajibah Abol.

The public is welcome to report any information regarding narcotic offences to the Narcotic Crime Investigation Division (NCID) office at 082-332522/205 or the nearest police station.

Regarding e-commerce scams in the first half of 2024, the Commercial Crime Investigation Division (CCID) recorded 49 cases with losses amounting to RM450,000.

“Last month, we arrested a 30-year-old local man allegedly involved in four scam cases involving the face-to-face sale of phones and video games using bounced cheques.

“The suspect has been charged in the Kuching Magistrate’s Court on all four cases reported under Section 420 of the Penal Code,” he said.

For queries or information related to commercial crime, the public can contact the CCID Scam Response Centre at 03-26101559, the CCID Infoline at 013-2111222, and the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997.