Over 13,000 arrests recorded in Sarawak drug operations

KUCHING (Dec 19): A total of 13,249 arrests were recorded in Sarawak following 10,310 enforcement operations carried out between January and November, according to the One Stop Committee on Drugs and Substance Abuse (OSC MIDS) Sarawak.

Presenting OSC MIDS Report No. 2/2025 at a media briefing here on Friday, committee chairperson and Minister of Welfare, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said the figures reflected the impact of integrated enforcement and non-enforcement interventions coordinated by its Technical Working Groups (TWGs) involving multiple agencies.

Of the arrested, 614 cases involved drug trafficking, 2,219 for possession, while 10,416 individuals tested positive for drugs through urine screening.

The number of urine-positive cases marked a 21.22 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2024, when 8,592 cases were recorded.

The report said enforcement operations were jointly conducted by the Sarawak Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (JSJN), the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (Sarawak) and the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) Sarawak.

During the same period, authorities seized 907.3 kilogrammes of drugs and prohibited substances, along with 93,222 pills, with an estimated street value of RM69.6 million.

The committee said the seizures were capable of preventing an estimated 763,861 instances of drug use and potentially saving 47,578 individuals within a month, underscoring the effectiveness of efforts to curb both supply and demand under Sarawak’s OSC MIDS Action Plan.

As of Nov 30, a total of 5,831 individuals were undergoing treatment and rehabilitation for substance abuse in Sarawak.

Of these, 296 were placed in Narcotics Addiction Rehabilitation Centres (Puspen) institutions, while 5,497 received community-based rehabilitation through programmes under AADK, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), the One Stop Centre for Addiction (Osca), and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as Kenosis, Victory Home and OAPTAR, as well as the CDIC Bau facility.

At the district level, OSC MIDS reported that 52 integrated enforcement operations and 160 prevention and education programmes were conducted statewide, focusing on workplaces, educational institutions and communities.

Between January and November, Sarawak police arrested 2,428 individuals for drug and substance-related offences, representing a 390 per cent increase compared with 495 arrests during the same period in 2024.

The Sarawak Prison Department recorded 2,586 inmates incarcerated for drug-related offences out of a total prison population of 11,374, an increase of 16.85 per cent from 2024.

At the Henry Gurney School, 17 juvenile offenders were recorded for drug-related offences, while 44 secondary school students under the Sarawak Education Department tested positive for drugs, a 25.71 per cent increase from 35 cases in 2024.

Based on arrest mapping by administrative district, Kuching recorded the highest number of arrests at 3,309, followed by Miri (1,552), Sibu (1,478), Bintulu (986) and Samarahan (698).

The committee urged all stakeholders to continue working together to combat drug and substance abuse in Sarawak, stressing that prevention is better than cure.

Those affected were encouraged to seek voluntary treatment and rehabilitation through Osca, Puspen, district drug committees (JKPD), CDIC and NGO rehabilitation centres.

Members of the public may report drug-related activities by contacting JSJN on 012-2087222; AADK on 019-6262233; Customs on 1-800-88-8855; Tudan Health Clinic on 085-654404; and Petra Jaya Health Clinic on 082-228228.

During the OSC meeting, members were also briefed on the latest drug abuse data presented by the Sarawak Social Development Council and on amendments to the Drug Dependants (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act 1983, revised in 2024.

In addition, four proposals were approved, including programmes to address electronic cigarette and vape abuse, the establishment of a monitoring committee on e-cigarettes and vaping, an integrated enforcement and intervention programme, and the setting up of private rehabilitation centres in Sarawak.

The committee expressed hope that a more holistic and integrated approach would further strengthen efforts to address drug and substance abuse in the state in the coming years.

crime enforcement operation Fatimah Abdullah substance abuse