KUALA LUMPUR:The Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (JSJN) recorded 66 cases of distribution and abuse of new psychoactive substances (NPS) suspected of being smuggled into the country from January until June this year.

Bukit Aman JSJN director Datuk Razarudin Husain said the NPS were believed to have been smuggled in for the international and local markets.

Among the substances identified were Acetylfentanyl, Butyrfentanyl, Methiopropamine and Ethylphenidate.

“NPS is a chemical misused either in the form of raw materials or preparations that are not controlled under any international convention.

"Each NPS seizure is first sent to the Chemistry Department to determine the actual chemical content," he told Bernama in Bukit Aman.

He said the Chemistry Department will then determine whether it contains dangerous drugs under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 or identify new drugs that have not been listed in any schedule of the Poisons Act 1952 or the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

“NPS was created to mimic the effects of controlled drugs as well as pose a threat to public health.

"Apart from imitating controlled drugs, the main content in NPS is a mixture of various chemicals that can be modified into artificial drugs besides also having the same effect as conventional and synthetic drugs," he said.

Razarudin said NPS contains high levels of toxic psychoactive substances which are difficult to detect, dangerous and widely considered to have contributed to the increase in deaths due to overdose.

"Last year alone, the police detected 110 cases related to the distribution and smuggling of NPS," he said.

He said if prior to this the police had focused on the distribution and smuggling of conventional and synthetic drugs, that focus has now shifted with the evolution of NPS.

"These are demanding challenges, especially for JSJN in the effort to combat drug abuse in Malaysia," he said.

On Nov 7, the National Anti-Drug Agency (NADA) admitted that it faced challenges in controlling drug abuse, especially with the emergence of NPS in the country.

Its director-general Datuk Seri Zulkifli Abdullah said its chemical structure can be easily altered so that any new findings would require scheduling recommendations in the First Schedule of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

-- BERNAMA