BUKIT KAYU HITAM: Two 17-year-old Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) candidates were among 37 individuals detained after testing positive for drugs in a special operation by the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) Kedah branch.
State AADK director Md Razif Wan said that 47 people underwent urine tests in the operation, which was carried out on Saturday and Sunday (April 11 and 12) at the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Complex here.
"Of that number, 37 tested positive for drugs, and most of them were youths,” he told reporters here on Monday (April 13).
In the first case, a male SPM candidate and his 21-year-old sister were detained upon returning from Danok, Thailand, after attending the Songkran festival there.
"Test results found the sister positive for methamphetamine, MDMA and ketamine, while her younger brother, who is sitting for the SPM this year, tested positive for ketamine,” he said.
Razif said both of them admitted to taking the substances out of curiosity, but are now facing action after being detained by authorities.
According to him, the two are believed to have been exposed to the prohibited substances after allegedly smoking cigarettes believed to have contained drugs during the festival.
He said another male SPM candidate was detained at an AADK roadblock at the ICQS after a urine test came back positive for ketamine.
The teenager's 22-year-old friend was also detained.
Razif added that they were detained under Section 3(1) of the Drug Dependants (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act 1983.
He advised the public, especially teenagers, not to be easily influenced by risky activities while abroad.
"In efforts to curb the trend of underage involvement, preventive education will continue to be strengthened to break the chain of new drug addicts,” he said. – Bernama
