9 Police Officers Arrested for Allegedly Helping to Smuggle Drugs Into Detention Centre

source: Johor Kini/ Boston Medical Center

A senior police officer in charge of a district and personnel under him could be fired and charged after nine police personnel were arrested for allegedly helping to smuggle drugs into the detaining centre of the district headquarters.

Johor Police Chief Comm Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the nine police officers aged between 20 to 36, ranked from corporal to constable, were arrested at the lock-up while on duty.

The police also arrested a 23-year-old woman believed to be the supplier, who is the daughter of one of the detainees known as ‘Datuk Ajim’, Malay Mail reported.

“There was even a designated cell in the lock-up which was turned into a ‘drug port’ for the detainees to get their fix,” said the police chief.

A further investigation on 29 November by the state narcotics department and Bukit Aman’s Integrity and Standard Compliance Department (JIPS) at the police lock-up discovered 38.65g of syabu, 42.25g of heroin and tobacco worth RM5,977.50 in total.

Datuk Ayob Khan. source: Bernama

Following the discovery, a drug screening was carried out on the 129 detainees at the lock-up, where 22 of them were found positive for methamphetamine, morphine and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

“We also conducted a screening test on policemen and found that the two male and a female police personnel, who were suppliers of the drug, were positive for methamphetamine abuse,” he said. One of them also had a criminal record for a gang robbery in 2017.

Comm Ayob Khan said investigations found that the drug distribution in the facility has been ongoing since early November last year, using the woman who will smuggle the drug from outside. He said that the police involved were paid between RM50 to RM1,500 for each package smuggled according to the size.

He said that this is the first arrest of a case like this and it may have happened before – but no action was taken or the suspects were “protected”.

According to Comm Ayob Khan, the case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, Section 39A (1), Section 6 and Section 15 (1) of the same Act.