MALAYSIA SEEKS DEA HELP TO FIGHT NEW DRUG MENACE

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is seeking the expertise of the US Drug
Enforcement Agency (DEA) to combat the menace posed by synthetic drugs
like syabu and Ecstasy.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Jamil Johari said local
authorities had the expertise to deal with "normal'' drugs like ganja
and heroin but of late there has been an increase in the consumption
of synthetic drugs including syabu and Ecstasy pills.

He said the manufacturing process of these drugs used "legal''
chemicals which were also used by doctors to treat patients.

"We need expertise to detect the diversion of such chemicals which are
being imported legally and later used to manufacture synthetic
drugs,'' Jamil told reporters after opening a three-week course for 45
officers from the police, Customs and pharmacy departments yesterday.

He added that the main aim of the course was to expose the officers to
the new modus operandi of drug pushers and traffickers in transporting
and marketing their products.

"Despite continuous operations mounted by local drug enforcement
agencies to combat drug abuse, the numbers keep on increasing,'' Jamil
said.

He added that over the last two years, a total of 3,188 people were
arrested for drug trafficking.

"Presently there are about 191,000 drug addicts in the country,'' he
said, adding that 88,000 were hardcore addicts.

He said during the same time, police seized a total of 483kg of
heroin, 3,093kg of ganja, 11.84kg of syabu, 1.8mil psychotropic pills
and 54,111 Ecstasy pills.

The course titled "Mission Planning and Law Enforcement Intelligence
Collection and Processing'' was conducted by 11 DEA officers.