Arrests of drug offenders in Malaysia

Malaysians might not be aware, but their nation is fighting a war; a war on drugs. The latest victory by the Royal Malaysia Police was the seizure of drugs worth RM16.5 million during their raid at a drug processing lab in Selangor last May.

According to the past recorded drug cases in the nation, there was a drastic drop of drug cases in 2017, from 182,955 to 144,382.

The cases that witnessed a high reduction were related to the Drug Dependants (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act 1983. This means the arrest of drug abusers in that year had reduced. But does that translate to the actual number of drug abusers in Malaysia?

It is not illegal unless you get caught. Thus, there might be much more drug abusers on the loose in the nation. Nevertheless, this is just an assumption.

On the other hand, there was an increase in the number of cases related to the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. This act involves drug suppliers, from the manufacturers to the dealers.

Looking at the drug cases trend for the past years, the number of cases pertaining to this act has been increasing since 2013. It is interesting to note that the number of drug suppliers kept increasing despite the heightened number of arrests.

Overall, there are more arrests on drug suppliers compared to drug dealers, which can be viewed as a good sign; the authorities are trying to tackle the problem from its root.