Harden speaks at the press conference.
KUCHING (Mar 19): Sarawak recorded a total of 640 drug abuse cases involving 652 arrests during 567 operations last month, said Datuk Francis Harden Hollis today.
The Assistant Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development said 40 cases involving 75 arrests of the total were about supply and smuggling of drugs and substances.
“Of these, seven cases involving 14 arrests were categorised under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. The total arrests under this Section since January this year stood at 137,” he said during a press conference at his office here.
Convicted offenders under this Section will face death penalty or life imprisonment and whipping 15 times.
Harden said 112 other cases involving 128 arrests were about possession of drugs and substance.
He added that this brought the total number of similar arrests since January this year to 337.
He said a total of 488 cases involving 449 arrests under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 – urine tested positive cases – were recorded in Sarawak last month.
The arrests involved individuals’ urine tested positive had been 865 so far this year, he said.
Under the Drug Dependants (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act 1983 (Amendment 1998), Harden said Sarawak recorded 105 cases involving 105 arrests during 60 operations.
“The total of arrests under this Act so far this year is 178.”
As at Feb 28 this year, he said a total of 1,901 individuals in the state had been put under surveillance by the National Anti-Drugs Agency.
Of the total, he said 80.49 per cent had maintained their rehabilitation process by following through the treatment to be free from drugs.
“The total number of clients who fully rehabilitated since last year was 1,547,” he added.
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