KUALA LUMPUR: More than 100 police officers have tested positive for drugs after an operation conducted in every police contingent, said Malaysia's Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador on Tuesday (Aug 20).

The country's highest ranking police officer said he was shocked by the number of police officers whose urine tests were tested positive for various drugs, indicating that drug abuse in the police force was at a critical and serious level.



Of the 100 addicts traced in the operation between Aug 13 and Aug 20, 86 tested positive for syabu, six for amphetamines and opiates, two for cannabis and one for ketamine.

He previously said about 30 police officers – many of whom were high on methamphetamine – were arrested this year.



"If PDRM (Royal Malaysia Police) personnel who are given the responsibility and trust to enforce the law, are themselves involved in such activities, what is going to happen to the country," he said.

Referring to the previous incidence of drug abuse among police officers in Latin America, Mr Abdul Hamid said a thorough drug eradication effort must be undertaken in Malaysia.



Instructions were also given to the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Mohd Khalil Kader Mohd to continue the operation.



The police chief noted that officers involved in drug abuse were also suspected of committing extortion and bribery, with foreign workers as their victims.

"They are my targets (personnel involved in drugs), apart from certain groups in units within PDRM ... there is evidence that this is what is actually happening," he said.

He added that drug addiction costs a lot of money and given the low salaries of policemen, they were bound to look for illegal sources of money.

The operation, which was aimed at cleansing the force of corruption and improving its integrity, was also being used to facilitate sting operations on drug-producing laboratories, drug traffickers and addicts.

The police chief expects the operation to make a significant impact on ongoing drug eradication efforts.

Mr Mohd Khalil said 3,438 policemen had undergone urine tests as a result of Ops Blue Devil.

The officers who had tested positive for drugs will go through the legal process, just like members of the public. This means going through police investigations, followed by court action.

