Couple Arrested in Drug Operation with Children Present; 164 Detained in Penang

A special operation targeting drug abuse in Penang, Malaysia, has resulted in the detention of 164 individuals, including a married couple who were found to be positive for morphine and methamphetamine. The couple, aged 35 and 37, were apprehended during a raid in Air Itam, with their two young children, aged three years and eight months, present at the time of their arrest.

Mahadzir Elias, Director of Enforcement and Security at the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK), stated that 88 AADK officers and personnel participated in the three-day operation, which began Tuesday. Of the 164 individuals detained, 149 tested positive for drugs, while nine were found to have violated Community Rehabilitation Treatment (RPDK) conditions. The majority of those arrested were men, accounting for 155 individuals (94.5%), with nine women also detained. The ages of those arrested ranged from 19 to 65 years old.

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The couple worked for themselves, but what is most saddening is that when they were detained, their two children, aged three years and eight months, were with them.

Analysis of the drug types revealed that methamphetamine was the most commonly abused substance, with 100 cases (61% of total arrests), followed by opiates (35 cases) and cannabis (18 cases). During the same operation, AADK also apprehended a 38-year-old local man in Bukit Mertajam suspected of drug trafficking. A search of the suspect yielded approximately 40.40 grams of heroin and 19.79 grams of syabu, believed to be intended for distribution. This suspect has been handed over to the police for further investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

In a related development, Mahadzir reported that 689 individuals voluntarily sought treatment and rehabilitation for drug abuse through AADK programs this year up to May 31. Additionally, 14,518 drug addicts and abusers were arrested nationwide during the same period, representing 30.43% of the year's target of 47,000 individuals. Mahadzir emphasized that the operations are not intended as punishment but rather to assist individuals in overcoming addiction and reintegrating into society.

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The operation we are conducting is not intended to punish, but rather to help them get out of the grip of addiction and function again in society.