KOTA BARU, July 13 — The National Anti-Drugs Agency (Nada) has set up a special committee involving 14 agencies serving at the Malaysia-Thai border in Kelantan to curb smuggling of drugs from the neighbouring country into Malaysia, especially the East Coast areas.

Its director-general, Datuk Seri Zulkifli Abdullah said the drastic action was taken as the agency had found that over 90 per cent of the drugs seized, especially "pil kuda” (methamphetamine), came from that country.

"Although a number of agencies like the Royal Malaysia Police have been involved in operations like ‘Op Wawasan’ and the Malaysian Armed Forces in ‘Op Merpati’, these drugs are still around.

"The discussion today has agreed to pool the 14 agencies involving personnel and logistics in curbing  smuggling of drugs into the country,” he told reporters after attending the Coordination Meeting on Drug Smuggling Issues in the East Coast States, here, today.

Zulkifli said besides the security forces, the committee also comprised personnel from the National Unity and Integration Department and Social Welfare Department to liaise with residents in the border areas.

He said these two agencies would be tasked with understanding better, the people’s situation there towards them becoming the eyes and ears for the authorities in fighting the drug menace.

"If this strategy proves successful in the East Coast, Nada will extend it to other areas like the peninsula’s north and West Coast, as well as Sabah and Sarawak.

"Although drugs in large amounts have been seized, the traffickers would always change their modus operandi and sell the drugs in small amounts to the addicts.

"In fact, they have been found to resort to using the postal and food delivery services to send the drugs ordered by the users, especially during the Movement Control Order period recently,” he added. — Bernama