PETALING JAYA: The police require 15,707 officers and personnel in the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) to fully combat drug smuggling and abuse in Malaysia, says NCID director Datuk Seri Khaw Kok Chin.
He said that such a large workforce was necessary due to the evolving nature of drug trafficking and abuse, which continues to grow year after year.
Over the past two decades, he said the manpower requirement had expanded to cover various areas, including field assignments, technical and tactical operations, research and development, as well as the placement of narcotics liaison officers overseas.
"Currently, NCID's manpower is insufficient to comprehensively tackle the drug issue. We need a significant increase in personnel, as well as support in terms of technology, expertise, and inter-agency cooperation," he told Utusan Malaysia.
Khaw said that NCID had already submitted a proposal to the Public Service Department (PSD) for the first phase, requesting an increase of 1,000 positions.
"However, we understand the government's financial constraints and hope that the government can consider approving this request," he said.
He also said that additional staff was crucial for maintaining balance in tackling increasingly complex tasks.
At the same time, Khaw said that Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain had plans to make the Kuala Lumpur Police Training Centre an International Narcotics Hub to identify emerging drug threats and resolve global narcotics issues.
"The establishment of this hub will also require a workforce to facilitate global information sharing across regions," he said.
When asked about the challenges faced by NCID in light of increasing drug addiction in Malaysia, Khaw attributed the issue to the presence of international syndicates operating in neighbouring countries.
"These drug syndicates have vast networks and can distribute drugs through various means, including cross-border smuggling, which is difficult to detect," he added.
Khaw pointed out that Malaysia's strategic location, along with its long and open borders — especially in maritime areas — exposed the country to smuggling activities.
"Monitoring the entire border requires significant technology and manpower, which is a major constraint for the police," he said.
In addition to manpower shortages, he said that limited logistical resources remained another challenge for NCID.
"This is crucial for ensuring the success of every narcotics operation. We need a large workforce and advanced technological equipment," he added.
Khaw said that overcoming these challenges required a comprehensive approach, involving cooperation between government agencies, the public, and neighbouring countries to strengthen the fight against drug abuse in Malaysia.
He also said that the emergence of new synthetic drugs that were difficult to detect and not listed in official schedules, which continues to pose a threat to Malaysia.
"The situation is further complicated by the lack of cooperation from drug-producing countries in the Golden Triangle, Golden Crescent, and Latin America. This hampers efforts to control international drug trafficking, which directly affects countries like Malaysia that do not produce drugs," he added.
Khaw said that drug syndicates were now using encryption technologies, dark web, and deep web networks to conduct their drug transactions, making their communications harder to detect.
"The evolution of new drugs means that our department must continually improve its forensic capabilities and detection methods.
"We need advanced technology to gather accurate intelligence quickly," he said.
He said that a combination of social, psychological, and environmental factors is a major cause of the increasing drug addiction problem.
"Life pressures, financial difficulties, family problems, and work-related stress drive some individuals to use drugs as a 'way out'," he added.