KUALA LUMPUR: Fifty-five cases of drones being used to drop drugs into prisons have been recorded this year, with the most serious incidents occurring at Tapah Prison, followed by Alor Star Prison.
Home Minister Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said these incidents highlighted the need for anti-drone measures, including specialised teams to intercept and destroy the drones.
"However, all attempts to drop the drugs were detected. All of these cases were successfully identified and none were successfully smuggled in," he said in response to Kamal Ashaari (PN-Kuala Krau), who inquired about the steps taken to address drug smuggling at detention centres.
Regarding the smuggling of drugs into detention centres, Saifuddin said it involved three key actors; the staff or officers of the relevant agencies, the public or family members who visit inmates and the detainees themselves, who may attempt to smuggle drugs when they are taken out for hospital visits or court hearings.
To address this, he said strengthened measures had been put in place to tighten security and prevent smuggling.
"These include stricter checks when inmates are first brought into detention centres, thorough inspections during family visitations and daily rigorous searches of cells and detention rooms."
He added that cooperation between the police, the Prisons Department and relevant agencies was crucial for success.
"We have installed devices, such as scanners, which were introduced under the previous government. These measures remain in place today.
"There is a proposal to install CCTV and portable drug detection devices. We have been trying (for it), but so far, the funding is insufficient," he said.