Cops ramping up efforts to keep out ganja buds

New Straits Times

19-05-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: Authorities are tightening controls at border crossings in the north of the peninsula in a bid to stem the tide of ganja buds into the country.
Police investigations have found that most of the ganja buds seized in the country are brought in through Thailand from the Golden Triangle, a region that spans parts of Myanmar, China, Laos and Thailand.
The Golden Triangle has long been a drug trade hotspot as its remote and mountainous terrain makes it easier for warlords to entrench their presence and keep law enforcement at bay.
Federal Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) acting director Deputy Commissioner Mat Zani @ Mohd Salahuddin Che Ali said police believed syndicates were capitalising on Thailand's decriminalisation of cannabis in 2022.
In May last year, then Thai prime minister Srettha Thavisin announced plans to re-list cannabis as a narcotic, though there are no reports that this has happened.
This policy shift triggered a surge in the production of high-potency THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) cannabis buds across the region, fuelling a rise in the smuggling of ganja buds into Malaysia.
"While isolated cases of domestic cannabis cultivation have been detected, local growing operations remain minimal and are not considered a significant contributor to the supply of ganja buds in the country.
"The rising influx of cannabis buds from abroad has corresponded with a notable escalation in seizures and arrests in recent years," Mat Zani said.
He said a multi-pronged crackdown on the trade had been launched.
"Key measures include enhanced scanning and inspections at all major entry points, such as airports, seaports, and border crossings.
"The department has also strengthened collaboration with the Customs Department and international enforcement bodies to disrupt cross-border trafficking routes."
Operations have also been launched to dismantle local distribution networks and arrest traffickers.
Mat Zani said NCID was making full use of the Dangerous Drugs Act to impose heavy penalties and seize assets linked to drug syndicates.
"These financial strikes aim to cripple the operational capacities of trafficking networks.
"To strengthen prevention efforts, NCID has intensified public outreach campaigns, urging citizens to report suspicious activities."
He added that these educational initiatives were part of a broader strategy to reduce demand and build community resilience against narcotics.
Mat Zani said the decriminalisation of cannabis in Thailand had introduced new dynamics to Southeast Asia's drug trade.
"With the Golden Triangle already known for illicit drug production, the legal cannabis trade in Thailand has created a loophole increasingly exploited by traffickers.
"Malaysian law enforcement now faces the dual challenge of stemming the cross-border flow of cannabis buds while addressing a growing local market drawn by the product's high potency and street value, ranging from RM11,000 to RM35,000 per kg."
Mat Zani added that as cannabis trafficking evolved, NCID remained committed to safeguarding national borders, dismantling drug networks and protecting public health from the impacts of high-grade narcotics.