PETALING JAYA: It turns out the recent bold attempt to smuggle suspected drugs into a prison using a drone was not an isolated incident.
A Malay daily reported today that the Bukit Aman Narcotic Crime Investigation Department (NCID) has detected seven attempts to smuggle drugs into prisons using drones this year.
NCID Director Datuk Seri Khaw Kok Chin said that while the number of cases is relatively low, the department is taking the smuggling attempts seriously, particularly in the five states involved.
He added that the department is also investigating and identifying the syndicates attempting to smuggle drugs using drones to prevent the issue from escalating.
"The smuggling attempts involve prisons in five states: Kedah, Perak, Melaka, Kelantan, and Sarawak. These attempts include various types of drugs such as marijuana, heroin, methamphetamine, yaba pills, and ketamine," Khaw was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia.
The most frequently smuggled drug is heroin, with 290.35g intercepted, followed by methamphetamine (124.26g), marijuana (114.038g), yaba pills (99.9g), and ketamine (4.33g).
Drone drug smuggling is not confined just to prisons either.
Khaw said there was a similar case in Johor which used a drone to transport drugs to a neighbouring country, resulting in one arrest.
This attempt involved 13.6g of methamphetamine, 11.83g of ecstasy pills, and 2.4g of heroin. The case was investigated under Section 39A (1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952," he added.
On Aug 10, the Prisons Department said it is expanding the use of anti-drone systems and interceptor equipment using local technology across all prison facilities nationwide.
Its director-general, Datuk Nordin Muhamad, said this is to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
This follows the discovery of a drone laden with drugs on the roof of a prison block in Tapah prison.