KOTA BARU, June 11 — A lecturer in a university in Kelantan was among three civil servants arrested through Ops Tapis Bersepadu and Ops Bersepadu Sempadan in the state from May 26 to June 8.

Kelantan police chief Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun said the lecturer, aged 38, was arrested together with four friends in a vehicle at a roadblock near Batu 6, Batu Melintang, Jeli, on June 2 at 10.30pm.

"A further inspection of the vehicle found four plastic bottles, containing 950 millimetres of brownish liquid suspected of being ketum water,” he said at a press conference after the Kelantan police contingent headquarters’ (IPK) monthly assembly here today.

"Urine screening tests on all suspects found three of them tested positive for benzo while one suspect tested negative for drugs.”

Elaborating further, Muhamad Zaki said the two other civil servants who were arrested were a 27-year-old public assistant from Kota Baru and 35-year-old driver with a government agency in Gua Musang on June 4 and 7 respectively.

"The urine screening tests on the 27-year-old was positive for methamphetamine, and he had two previous drug convictions, whereas the driver tested negative for drugs.

"All three suspects (civil servants) are being investigated under Section 30 (3) of the Poisons Act 1952 and Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952,” he said.

Muhamad Zaki said through the integrated operations carried out, a total of 1,251 people were arrested for various offences under the Dangerous Drugs Act (ADB) 1952, Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act 1985 and Poisons Act 1952.

"All those arrested are between 15 and 62 years old, consisting of 1,227 men and 24 women, including the three civil servants,” he also said.

"Various types of drugs, estimated to be worth more than RM247,229, were successfully seized and various properties were also seized, including vehicles and cash estimated to be worth more than RM86,887.” — Bernama