KUALA LUMPUR: A 62-year-old drug addict, who has been arrested more than 10 times and previously received six strokes of the rotan, was caught once again during an anti-drug operation here on Tuesday (Aug 19).
The man, who claimed to have repented, admitted that he has been struggling with addiction for four decades.
“I started using drugs when I was 22. I tried to quit but I couldn’t because of the cravings,” he said when met after his arrest at an abandoned construction site in the city.
He was among 112 individuals detained in Ops Perdana conducted by the National Anti-Drugs Agency from midnight.
National Anti-Drugs Agency director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said initial screening found all those arrested, including five women aged between 19 and 61, tested positive for drugs.
“Out of the total, 77 tested positive for methamphetamine (syabu), 20 for heroin, eight for cannabis and five for benzodiazepines,” he told reporters.
All those arrested are being investigated under the Drug Dependants (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act 1983.
Ruslin said 20 individuals were detained at the abandoned construction site, known among addicts as a ‘port imbi.’
“The location has been active since 2023, with addicts frequenting the spot between 6am and 10am, and again between 5pm and 7pm.
On average, 15 to 30 addicts are present at one time. It is also used as a drug-purchasing point for addicts before or after work,” he said.
The large-scale operation involved 23 National Anti-Drugs Agency officers and 54 personnel targeting high-risk areas including open drug hangouts and People’s Housing Projects.
Ruslin said the main goal was to identify drug users for treatment and rehabilitation, either through institutional or community-based programmes.
“At the same time, this operation aims to cut off drug supply networks, reduce demand, and dismantle active drug dens, especially in high-risk areas,” he added.
Ruslin stressed that the National Anti-Drugs Agency will continue intensive enforcement.
