KOTA BHARU: About 80% of drug addicts who completed the Community-Based Rehabilitation programme under the National Anti-Drugs Agency have successfully overcome their addiction.
AADK deputy director-general of operations Khairul Anwar Bachok stated that only 20% of over 50,000 addicts nationwide relapsed, marking significant improvement compared to rates from ten to fifteen years ago.
He attributed this success to the availability of specialists and various treatment methods during a media conference for the Kelantan AADK Ops Perdana.
Khairul Anwar revealed that 5,898 participants from Kelantan are among those undergoing the rehabilitation programme nationwide.
The programme’s effectiveness has gained international recognition through awards from the King Charles Trust Fund in London and the Raja Muda of Selangor.
Regarding the ongoing four-day operation that began on Sunday, authorities have arrested 161 individuals at various drug abuse hotspots.
The operation involved 90 personnel focusing on Bachok, Pasir Mas, Kuala Krai, and several areas within Kota Bharu district.
Preliminary screenings showed 157 individuals tested positive for drugs, comprising 155 men and two women aged between 19 and 61 years.
Six individuals violated community rehabilitation treatment conditions while four foreigners were handed over to police custody.
Methamphetamine remained the most detected substance with 152 positive cases, followed by opiates and benzodiazepines with two cases each, and one cannabis case.
Khairul Anwar noted methamphetamine’s popularity stems from its affordability, available for as low as RM5 per pill in Kelantan.
The operation aims to disrupt supply chains and eliminate addiction hotspots, particularly in high-risk areas.
All detainees will be investigated under the amended Drug and Substance Dependants and Misusers Act 1983 which took effect on August 22.
The agency plans to enhance future operations to target not only addicts but also substance misusers. – Bernama