PDRM call for amendments to drug-related acts to stay current

MELAKA: The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) has proposed to the Home Ministry (KDN) to amend or enact several acts related to drug penalties in line with current developments in the abuse of banned substances in the country.

Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (JSJN) director Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the types of drugs now widely used by addicts are syabu and ecstasy pills compared to heroin previously.

"Earlier, for heroin, 15 gm mandated a hanging sentence but for syabu and ecstasy pills it was 50 gm (hanging sentence) ... so we want the weight for syabu to be reduced to 15 gm.

"This proposal was brought to the Home Ministry before being submitted to the Attorney-General's Chambers for thorough scrutiny," he told reporters after the closing ceremony of the seminar on 'Community Social Issues: Situation, Challenges and Prevention in the Present Era' at Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) here today.

He said apart from that, the department was listing banned chemicals used to produce new types of drugs such as syabu, ketamine, yaba and kuda pills.

So far in Malaysia, more than 60 banned chemicals have been listed in the production of new types of drugs compared to over 900 chemicals banned overseas.

In another development, Ayob said PDRM in collaboration with various other enforcement agencies such as the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM) would continue to beef up control at the country's borders to curb the increase in cannabis smuggling from Thailand following the government's decision to allow its citizens to plant marijuana effective last June 9.

He said Thailand's decision was seen to have an impact on cannabis smuggling into the country as there were no more restrictions on the movement of the plant there, even though it is still banned in Malaysia.

"Indeed, the decision made by Thailand has caused a 'frenzy' on our part ... maybe smugglers will be emboldened to move more cannabis into this country.

"Now there is no more limit to the movement of cannabis into the country ... maybe everyone will wait at the border to sneak it into Malaysia and yesterday alone, 860 kg of cannabis smuggled in from Thailand were confiscated," he said.

Commenting on the abolition of the mandatory death penalty in the country with a substitute sentence subject to the court's discretion, he said it would not have a negative impact on PDRM efforts to fight drug crime here.

On the contrary, enforcement operations would be further enhanced and apart from focusing on detaining drug lords, the department would also change its strategy to detect drug syndicate leaders with the cooperation of enforcement agencies, he added.

-- BERNAMA