Supply of drugs by entertainment outlets to youths worries police

The existence of an increasing number of entertainment premises used by drug addicts or traffickers to supply the prohibited items to customers, especially students, is worrying especially as the New Year approaches.

Kedah police chief Asri Yusoff said under the formula 'one addict looks for four victims/customers', the addicts or traffickers were becoming bolder in placing the drugs in beverage bottles such as Coca Cola, Ribena or inserting them in cigarettes without the awareness of the victims.

"The drug supply is according to category, such as retail shops, for example, if one wants eramin or ecstasy, all are available, depending on the customer. Those who like entertainment and follow their friends who take drugs, surely they can become drug addicts within a short period.

"It's normal during the New Year celebration that entertainment outlets (pubs, bars) will become places of attraction, and here the addicts or traffickers carry out their activities," Asri said at a media conference at the Kedah police headquarters in Alor Star today.

Thus, he advised parents to take serious attention on the movements of their children, whether at school or at entertainment outlets, so that they were not involved in such activities.

At the media conference, Asri also disclosed that police had raided an entertainment outlet on Jalan Tembaga, Seberang Jalan Putra, yesterday and carried urine tests on 115 male patrons and 56 women who were celebrating the anniversary of the outlet's formation.The raid at 1am on Christmas Day led to the arrest of 18 men and four women, aged between 18 and 57, who were found positive of drugs.

Following inspection, police found four plastic packets containing 85 pills of the eramin-5 drugs, a plastic packet containing Ecstasy drugs, and a 390-mililitre Coca Cola bottle believed to contain a liquid drug.

Also found were five plastic packets containing five sticks of cigarettes believed to contain drugs and a bottle containing ketamine drugs.

He said a 34-year-old local man who was also the manager of the premises was remanded for three days beginning yesterday for further investigation while the 22 patrons detained were given police bail while waiting for the urine report from the Pathology Department.

- Bernama