SEREMBAN, Sept 30 — A total of 142 members of the police force have been detected to be drug-positive in a preliminary screening via the ‘Op Blue Devil’ carried out at all contingents since August 13.

Announcing this, Narcotics CID Director (JSJN) Bukit Aman, Datuk Mohd Khalil Kader Mohd said the operation had never been stopped and was carried out continuously and comprehensively.

“Why did we not stop? It is because the (Royal Malaysia Police - PDRM) top leadership planned to clean the force of unhealthy elements especially drug addicts. When you (policemen) become drug addicts, you are suffering from a disease and it is called ‘brain disease’.

“We cannot afford to have police officers with brain disease in the PDRM. The force must be clean,” he told reporters at a media conference at the Negri Sembilan Contingent Police Headquarters, here today.

Also present was Negri Sembilan Chief Police Officer Datuk Mohamad Mat Yusop.

Commenting further, Mohd Khalil said out of the 142 personnel found to be drug positive, none of them had so far involved high-ranking officers.

“You have to understand when we mention preliminary screening, it means early positive. We will charge the culprits if the report from the pathology unit is positive.

“When we take action on them, it is the same as the action that we take on members of the public. No mercy,” he said. — Bernama