Perak seeks to deny bail to all repeat drug offenders

IPOH: Perak may become the first state to deny bail to all repeat drug offenders when they are charged in court.

State Narcotics Criminal Investigations Depart­ment chief Asst Comm R. Ravi Chandran said a provision under Section 41B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 allowed the prosecution to request the court to deny bail for repeat offenders.

The department had forwarded the suggestion to the Attorney-General’s Chambers in December and was then told to put in the request to the Perak prosecution unit, which it has done.

“If the request is granted, our department will be the first in the country to successfully push for the provision to be implemented,” said ACP Ravi.

The move, he argued, would be a useful deterrent. He said repeat offenders are usually allowed bail when charged, and would often take advantage of this.

“Most are given bail amounts between RM2,000 and RM3,000, and after settling the amount, they are back on the streets again.

“We hope to apply the section this year if the prosecution unit gives the green light,” said ACP Ravi.

The section states that no bail is to be granted in respect of certain offences, where the public prosecutor could argue in court that it is not in the public’s interest to grant bail to the accused person.

A total of 13,548 people were arrested in Perak last year for drug-related offences in­­clu­­ding possession, trafficking and opera­ting drug processing labs, said ACP Ravi.

In another development, police detained a labourer for drug possession during a raid in Simpang, Taiping, at 11pm on Jan 31.

ACP Ravi said police seized 1.4kg of heroin in three plastic packets from the man, who was nabbed following a tip-off.

He tested positive for methamphetamine, and would be remanded until Feb 7.

ACP Ravi said the drugs confiscated are worth about RM35,000.