SOSMA to be used against drug syndicates as allowed by law

KUCHING: Police will continue to use the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA) against drug syndicates where legal provisions allow, said Sarawak Police Commissioner, Datuk Mohamad Zainal Abdullah.

He explained that the use of SOSMA depends on whether an offence falls under the Act, emphasising that it cannot be applied arbitrarily.

“Sometimes people do not understand and think all offences can be subjected to SOSMA.

“That is not the case. There is a specific schedule of offences, and amending the law would be necessary to include others,” he said, adding that drug offences must meet the criteria for serious and organised crime to qualify.

He said this during a press conference at the Sarawak Police Contingent headquarters this afternoon.

The Director of the Management Department of the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) also stressed that police will take full advantage of the law whenever suspects meet those legal requirements.

“For the remaining syndicate members, we will take stronger action under SOSMA. Let them feel what it is like to be detained. That is the advantage of using this law,” he said.

Highlighting a recent precedent, Zainal noted that police previously invoked SOSMA against 23 local men, aged 19 to 44, who were arrested on April 16 during ‘Ops Pusak Merah’ by Bukit Aman’s CID D9 division across Kuching, Samarahan, Padawan, and Simunjan for suspected involvement in secret society activities and organised crime.

He revealed that all 23 suspects remain in prison while documentation is being finalised, even though trial proceedings have not yet commenced.

“The Gang 24 Hung-Hung members arrested earlier are still in prison to this day, despite the trial not having started yet. That is the advantage of using SOSMA,” he said.

He further clarified that under Section 13 of the Act, suspects detained under SOSMA are generally denied bail, except under very specific circumstances.

“There are strict conditions for a detainee to be granted bail under SOSMA, but in most cases, the court does not allow it,” he added.