With pics by Juwan Riduan
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah police have refuted claims suggesting that drugs are sold like 'banana fritters' in the state.
State police commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun described such claims as exaggerated, considering the police's continuous efforts to combat the drug issue in Sabah.
"From January until yesterday, particularly the state Narcotics Crime Investigation Department has successfully arrested a total of 8,993 drug offenders, with 88 percent of the cases charged in court.
"Out of the total arrests, 2,588 individuals were drug possessors, while 5,766 tested positive.
"This is the result of continuous operations conducted by Sabah police force , assisted by District Police Headquarters (IPD) throughout Sabah," he told reporters here today.
Jauteh added that from those arrests, 20 people were charged or had action taken against them under the Dangerous Drugs Act (Special Preventive Measures) 1985.
"During the same period, 367 drug addicts were charged under Section 39C of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
"Not only that, from the total seizures during the same period, the police confiscated a total of 85 kilograms of drugs," he said.
On a related matter, Jauteh said that methamphetamine remains the main contributor, with a seizure of 71 kg during the same period.
He added that this year, the police successfully seized a new type of drug, liquid methamphetamine, totaling 1.4kg.