KUALA LUMPUR – The National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) has defended its officers’ actions during the arrest of a suspected drug user, asserting that they adhered to standard operating procedures following an incident which went viral on social media.
The agency, which is under the purview of the Home Ministry, said the incident occurred during an operation carried out by its personnel in Taman Maluri, Cheras.
In a statement today, the agency said that officers in the operation adhered to the SOP of introducing themselves and showing their AADK badges when detaining an individual “classified” as a suspected drug user.
“However, while detaining the person, there was another individual at the same location acting in a suspicious manner. When AADK officers tried approaching him, he (attempted to) run away.
“The individual’s actions provided reasonable suspicion to arrest him,” the agency said, noting that its officers had again displayed their badges after the arrests.
It also said that while checks on the MyAADK system were being carried out, the individual had attempted to escape for a second time, this time pushing an AADK officer in the process.
The individual was then brought to the Cheras AADK office for documentation and tests to determine if he was a drug user.
A urine test result later showed that the individual was negative for drugs, leading to his release.
“AADK acknowledges that the documentation process took a certain amount of time due to the high number of arrests, but the individual’s detention process did not exceed a period of 24 hours and complies with SOPs stipulated in the Drug Dependants (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act 1983.
“AADK considers the conduct of its officers seriously and will be more careful when executing its duties,” it added.
Previously, an X user took to the social media platform in an appeal for public help to locate her then-missing younger brother, who was later discovered to have been apprehended by AADK.
The user @syaidailmuna claimed that the plainclothes officers, believed to be from AADK, had not introduced themselves before requesting to see her brother’s identity card.
Besides sustaining a minor scratch during his struggle with officers, the user also claimed her brother had been denied the right to contact his family once he was brought to the AADK office, where he was forced to share a cell with suspected drug addicts.
She said the incident had traumatised her brother and accused AADK of flouting SOPs on informing family members of suspected drug users detained by authorities. – June 12, 2024