GEORGE TOWN, Nov 8 — Penang police arrested 62 individuals, including a Health Ministry ambulance driver and a food delivery man, in several raids under “Ops Sarang” carried out around the state today.
Penang Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) chief, ACP Mustafa Kamal Gani Abdullah, said that the two men, a 53-year-old ambulance driver and a 39-year-old food delivery man, were detained at a factory bus parking lot in Paya Terubong.
He said that the two were held while buying drugs from a drug supplier, a man in his 30s, who was also arrested.
“The NCID team conducted “Ops Sarang” from 12.30am to 3pm today, and detained a total of 62 people, including three women, aged 21 to 60.
“In the operation, we raided areas which are the usual haunts of drug addicts, such as Sungai Nibong, Bandar Baru Air Itam, Pulau Tikus, Tanjung Tokong and around George Town,” he said at a press conference today.
Mustafa Kamal said that eight were arrested for selling drugs, 27 for drug possession and 27 for addiction, and all 62 tested positive for drugs.
He said during the operation, police also seized 400.38gm of heroin, 16.68gm of syabu and 0.67gm of ketamine, together worth RM15,770.
“Investigations showed that most of them, especially drug addicts arrested in the operation, had been arrested several times before for the same offence,” he said.
He added that in 27 “Ops Sarang” conducted with the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) from January till today, a total of 480 hardcore drug addicts were detained.
Meanwhile, police arrested a total of 6,597 individuals under the drug abuse prevention operations, namely 1,723 drug pushers, 3,594 individuals for drug possession and 1,280 hardcore addicts, in the same period.
“Police will conduct operations from time to time in an effort to eliminate and clean up high-risk areas from drug abuse activities,” he said. — Bernama
