KUALA LUMPUR: The cooperation between the police and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) will improve the investigative capabilities of the Narcotic Crime Investigation Department (NCID) in the war against drugs and new psychoactive substances (NPS).
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said besides knowledge and training for NCID officers and personnel, the cooperation will alleviate the use of lab facilities in conducting drug and NPS-related studies.
"The police handed over RM1.2mil in funds on Monday (Jan 8) to UKM to rent and purchase lab instruments.
"The funds will also be used to organise training on narcotic forensic expertise to those in NCID," he told a press conference in Bukit Aman on Monday.
Among those in attendance were UKM vice chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Ekhwan Toriman and Bukit Aman NCID director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Kamarudin Md Din.
Ayob Khan said the funds is a continuation of the cooperation with UKM since both parties inked an MOU on Oct 21, 2022.
"A total of eight police officers- an Asst Supt and seven Inspectors - will undergo six long-term courses and two professional certificate courses organised by UKM to improve investigation and operation towards drug syndicates," he said.
Seven aspects of research will also be conducted as part of the cooperation between the police and UKM.
"Firstly, research will be conducted to ascertain chemicals used to produce drugs. It will enable the police to work with the Health Ministry to formulate a new standard operation procedure or a new law, or improve upon existing laws to strictly guard such chemicals.
"The research could also identify chemicals that could influence a drug user to become violent and be involved in violent crimes.
"A recent study showed 60% of drug addicts are involved in violent crimes and crimes involving belongings," he said.
Ayob Khan said the strategic cooperation will also conduct a research on ascertaining the minimum dose of drugs that would push a drug user to be addicted.
"With this, we can discover the right form of treatment and rehabilitation," he added.
The cooperation will also lead to research tracking the original form of drug molecule to determine the type of drugs and improve investigation, he said.
"We also hope to build an NPS drug forensic hub that could be a reference for enforcement agencies in Malaysia and South East Asia.
"It will be placed at the forensic lab in Kuala Lumpur," he said.
The police and UKM will also cooperate to produce a better quality electrode biosensor strip test as well as a research on determining the density of drug residue in sewage water.
"It will enable us to detect drug activity or drug labs in premises that are hard to excess such as gated communities or high rise buildings," he said.
