KOTA BHARU: A father trapped in drug addiction has been forced to give up his third child since birth due to severe financial hardship and substance dependency.
The 39-year-old man, identified only as Man, started using yaba pills after leaving school while working as a labourer with an unstable income.
He began taking the drugs to relieve work fatigue, which made him feel less tired and stronger.
“I took yaba pills to ease my fatigue from work,” he told reporters during an anti-drug operation here.
“They made me feel less tired and stronger.”
His third daughter, now six years old, has been cared for by someone else since birth because he could not afford her hospital bills and daily expenses.
“Giving her up also made things a bit easier for me,” he admitted.
The father of four daughters aged 12, nine, six, and one was among 161 people detained by the Kelantan National Anti-Drug Agency in an operation called Ops Perdana.
Struggling to survive, he sometimes had to borrow money from drug dealers just to cover his daily expenses.
“After paying rent, there are times I can’t even afford to eat,” he said.
“I take drugs on my own and get them from dealers.”
He expressed deep sadness and guilt towards his children, noting that his wife had repeatedly urged him to quit his addiction.
The operation also led to the detention of four brothers who work as labourers and their brother-in-law, all suspected of using yaba pills for several years.
All five men, aged between 30 and 40, were arrested at a house in Pasir Mas that housed more than 20 people from three families, including a 10-week-old baby.
Another detainee named Ayie, in his 30s, revealed he consumes two to three yaba pills daily and has battled addiction for years.
“Some of us started four years ago, some six,” he said.
“Out of my 12 siblings, four of us began taking yaba pills a few years back.”
He noted that the drugs are easily available for about 5 ringgit per pill with numerous dealers operating in the area.
The four-day operation from 24 to 27 August resulted in 161 arrests across Bachok, Pasir Mas, Kuala Krai, and Kota Bharu, areas identified with high drug addiction rates.
Among those detained, 157 individuals aged between 19 and 61 tested positive for drugs, including 155 men and two women.
Six others were found violating community rehabilitation treatment conditions, while four foreigners were handed to police for further action. – Bernama
