IGP: Malaysia may be a transit hub for drugs

JOHOR BARU: Malaysia may not be a drug exporting or producing country, but there is a possibility it is being used as a transit hub for drug smuggling activities, says Tan Sri Razarudin Husain.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) said drug labs raided in the country so far are small, producing just enough for local use.

“Last year, we uncovered about 20 drug labs, all of which were small scale. There are also labs that were raided just six months after they started operating.

“The quantity (of the drugs produced) is small, just enough for local use.

“So, I do not agree if we say Malaysia is a drug-exporting country as this would suggest that we are also a drug-producing country, which is not the case,” he said in response to a question.

Razarudin was speaking at a press conference after witnessing the handover of four rigid hull assault boats here.

He, however, did not dismiss the possibility the country was being used as a transit hub.

“The drugs from the Golden Triangle area enters the country through our border with Thailand.

“It then goes into Kedah, Perlis, to Kuala Lumpur, Johor or Selangor before some smugglers send it to countries such as Australia, New Zealand and South Korea,” he added.

The Golden Triangle is an opium-producing region where the borders of Laos, Thailand and Myanmar meet.

On a separate matter, the IGP said there have yet to be any arrests related to fentanyl, which is also known as the “zombie drug”.

“For now, we are seeing more syabu arrests. Most of the drugs found in the country are from the Golden Triangle. They include syabu, yaba, cannabis and heroin.

“Fentanyl is mostly used in European countries. However, this does not mean that it will not be used here. We take all drug issues very seriously and will continue to curb its use,” he said.

He pointed out that cocaine, which is produced in places such as Colombia, Mexico and Guatemala, had also reached Malaysia.

In December last year, the Customs Department seized almost 808kg of fentanyl worth an estimated RM45mil at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport cargo complex.

The drug has wreaked havoc in countries such as the United States, where it’s a major synthetic drug causing 1,500 opioid overdose deaths a week.

It is known as a zombie drug due to its debilitating effect on users – fentanyl is 100 times more dangerous than morphine and 20 to 40 times stronger than heroin.

On an unrelated matter, Razarudin said the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) and Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) are two departments within the police force that may need more manpower.

“Based on the ratio recommended by the United Nations (UN), there should be one policeman to every 330 citizens.

“In Malaysia, the ratio is one policeman to every 275 people, which is still in line with the UN’s recommendation.

“However, if there is a need to increase the number of personnel, it should be for the CCID and NCID,” he said, adding that most of the pressing global issues involved the two departments.

He noted that there are currently 2,100 policemen in the CCID and fewer than 5,000 in the NCID.