Teenage drug abuse alarming

Posted on April 15, 2011, Friday PUTRAJAYA: Teenage drug abuse in the country is at an alarming trend, with teenagers as young as 14 turning to such substances. National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) director-general Datuk Zuraidah Mohamed said peer pressure and the urge to try something new were factors that made teens get involved at such an early age. It is worrisome that drug addicts are starting at a younger age. In Sarawak, for example, they sniff glue as early as 10 years old, she said, adding that teenagers as young as 14 were among those being treated at the 1Malaysia Cure and Care Clinics managed by the Narcotic Addiction Rehabilitation Centre (Puspen). She was speaking to reporters after attending an Excellent Service Awards Ceremony for 492 AADK officers and staff. Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop officiated at the ceremony here yesterday. Zuraidah said they would rehabilitate the teenagers before they were sent back to resume schooling. Zuraidah said that, so far, 3,817 individuals had sought the services of seven Cure and Care clinics in Sungai Besi, Kota Baharu, Bukit Mertajam, Tampoi, Kuching, Tampin and Papar. Eighty per cent of them were aged between 15 and 40. It is estimated that more than 50 per cent of those treated at the clinics, which were set up last July, had fully recovered, she said. The clinics began in Sungai Besi based on the concept of an open narcotics addiction rehabilitation centre that functions as a hub to treat addicts, as well as a reference centre for addicts. Meanwhile, Abu Seman, in his speech, said drug eradication efforts would be fruitful if there was commitment from all quarters, especially the AADK. I believe that we will see the results of these efforts and make an impact on the ministrys key performance indicator in trying to reduce the crime index to the targeted 5 per cent for three consecutive years, he said. Bernama

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Four fined for drug abuse

Posted on June 30, 2011, Thursday TAWAU: Four local men yesterday were fined RM1,500 each in default three months jail by the Magistrates Court here for drug abuse. Senior Court Registrar Ferhansha Farene Mohd Ferdaus meted out the sentence on Faisal bin Jainal, 40, Mohd Faezal bin Haidi, 27, Taufik bin Sidik, 25 and Usman bin Jumahdil, 34 to a charge under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drug Act 1952 which provides a fine of not more than RM5,000 or jailed not more than two years. The four accused were also ordered to be placed under two years police observation. All four were tested positive for drug abuse at the narcotics police office. Faisal was detained on January 13, at about 4.25pm for abusing methamphetamine. Mohd Faezal was detained on April 11, at about 7.45pm also on methamphetamine abuse. Taufik was detained on May 22, at about 1.05pm for methamphetamine abuse and Usman was detained on May 22, at about 1.15pm for Amphetamine abuse.

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Man gets eight months jail for drug abuse

Posted on July 7, 2011, Thursday SIBU: A 45-year-old man was yesterday sentenced to eight months jail after he pleaded guilty to three charges for drug abuse. The magistrate also ordered him to undergo two years supervision. Ting was caught for possessing 0.13g of Methamphetamine (MDMA) at a rented house in Bank Road at 12.40pm on Feb 14, 2007. Drug possession comes under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drug Act 1952 which provides for an imprisonment term not exceeding five years or a maximum fine of RM100,000 or both. On the second charge under Section 15(c) of the same Act for consuming MDMA, he was sentenced to three months jail and ordered to undergo supervision for two years. For the third charge, Ting was charged with possessing cannabis under Section 6 of the same Act, in which he was sentenced to five months jail. The magistrate ordered that the sentences run concurrently. Meanwhile, a 43-year-old man, Ngu, pleaded guilty to possessing 0.08g of MDMA before the same magistrate yesterday. He was caught committing the offence at 2.40pm on Dec 21, 2008 at a hotel. He was fined RM1,800 in default two months jail.

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Teenagers among 10 arrested for suspected drug abuse at house

Posted on July 30, 2011, Saturday SIBU: Police raided a house in Bukit Assek at about 10am last Thursday and arrested 10 individuals, including teenage boys, for suspected involvement in drug abuse. The suspects, all males, are aged between 13 and 60. The eldest among them is believed to be a drug addict. His wife had earlier been arrested for suspicion of being a drug pusher. It is understood that personnel from the anti-narcotics unit raided the premises after receiving a tip off from members of the public. All the 10 suspects were found to be intoxicated and results from a urine test conducted later were positive However, only several items believed to be used for drug taking were found but not the drugs. In a separate case, police arrested a couple in a house in Apollo Road at about 1.30pm on the same day and seized a couple of packets believed to be syabu. The couple, both 32 years old and believed to have criminal records, has been placed under remand to facilitate investigation.SIBU: Police raided a house in Bukit Assek at about 10am last Thursday and arrested 10 individuals, including teenage boys, for suspected involvement in drug abuse. The suspects, all males, are aged between 13 and 60. The eldest among them is believed to be a drug addict. His wife had earlier been arrested for suspicion of being a drug pusher. It is understood that personnel from the anti-narcotics unit raided the premises after receiving a tip off from members of the public. All the 10 suspects were found to be intoxicated and results from a urine test conducted later were positive However, only several items believed to be used for drug taking were found but not the drugs. In a separate case, police arrested a couple in a house in Apollo Road at about 1.30pm on the same day and seized a couple of packets believed to be syabu. The couple, both 32 years old and believed to have criminal records, has been placed under remand to facilitate investigation.

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Civil servants involved in drug abuse on the rise

Posted on August 12, 2011, Friday KUCHING: The number of civil servants involved in drug abuse in Sarawak is on the rise with 22 government employees, including a teacher detained in the first seven months of this year. State narcotics criminal investigation department head Supt Moses Agat said during the same period last year, only 18 civil servants were caught for such activity. Overall last year 34 civil servants were nabbed for various offences, he told a press conference at his office here yesterday. In another development, Moses said police also had uncovered a new tactic in drug peddling whereby drugs hidden in food containers were placed at certain locations to be collected by buyers. Bernama

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Synthetic drug use still rampant: D-G

Posted on December 14, 2009, Monday KUALA LUMPUR: The incidence of synthetic drug use in this country is still high although various efforts have been taken to eradicate the problem, said National Anti-Drug Agency (Nada) director-general Datuk Abd Bakir Zin.He said youths preferred to take synthetic drugs as an easy way to have fun compared to other types of drug. Their drug taking is often associated with increasing crime rates as most of them are jobless. However, we will continuously monitor the situaton and hold community programmes to address the problem, he said before closing the agencys annual sports day and presenting prizes to the winners. Abd Bakir said to date, the agency had registered 12,000 new drug addicts while 41,000 addicts were still receiving treatment, including 7,000 at the drug rehabilitation centres, while 34,000 were under the agencys and police supervision. Of the 34,000, 6,000 are jobless while the rest are self-employed or public or private sector employees. Abd Bakir said each week the agencys offices in the states would conduct integrated operations to ensure that unregistered drug addicts would face legal action and given treatment. The operations involve the Peoples Volunteer Corps (Rela), non-governmental organisations, Civil Defence Department and the village development and security committees. Apart from that, we plan to hold a community service programme once a month in every district from January next year to enable the community to establish rapport with Nada officers to tackle the drug and crime problems. Abd Bakir also stressed that the agency always cooperated with all departments in the Home Ministry, other government departments and NGOs, including Pengasih and Pendamai, in tackling the drug abuse problem. Therefore, the recent claims by certain quarters that the agency did not cooperate with such groups should not arise, he said. About 1,300 of the agencys staff nationwide attended the four-day sports event which ended yesterday. Bernama

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