KUALA LUMPUR: Some 55 cases of drones being used to smuggle drugs into detention centres were detected this year, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The Home Minister said Tapah prison recorded the highest number of cases, followed by the Alor Setar prison.
“This is very serious. They dropped the drugs within the premises using drones.
“We have teams with shooters tasked to destroy the drones.
“For now, we have detected all such incidents with none going unnoticed,” he said during the question and answer session in Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 26).
He said some RM228.2mil worth of drugs were disposed of as of October this year.
Saifuddin Nasution said only drugs, where investigations and trials are concluded, can be disposed of.
“Following this, the court or deputy public prosecutor will order the case items to be disposed of with a special committee to take over.
“The committee is headed by a police officer who holds at least the rank of Superintendent,” he said.
The minister also said synthetic and conventional drugs are disposed of in Bukit Pelanduk, Negri Sembilan.
“The committee will follow the entire process beginning from the time the items are removed until they are disposed of,” he said.
The minister said this in response to a question by Kamal Ashaari (PN-Kuala Krau) who asked about government procedures in disposing of drugs seized during raids and operations alongside measures to tackle drugs being smuggled into detention centres.
Separately, Saifuddin Nasution said drugs continue being smuggled into detention centres due to demand from detainees.
“The reality is that of the 87,000 detainees in prisons, almost 70% are those involved in drug-related offences," he said.
Just this year, Saifuddin Nasution said there were 210 attempts to smuggle drugs into detention centres.
"Of this number, 188 cases were detected outside the institutions. Owing to tight security, these attempts were thwarted by the authorities.
“That is why they dropped it using drones but all were intercepted,” he said.
He said the ministry also tightened inspection procedures at detention centres.
“We tightened checks whenever a detainee is brought in, as early as the first day.
“The same procedure is also done during public visit periods as well as regular spot checks in cells,” he said.
Saifuddin Nasution was responding to Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (PH-Ledang) who asked whether insiders and syndicates were involved in drug smuggling into detention centres and measures taken to tackle the matter.
