IGP urged to re-open criminal cases previously handled by drug-abusing cops
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 — A DAP MP has urged the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to order a mass re-investigation of criminal cases previously handled by police officers identified as drug abusers under the police’s special operation named Ops Blue Devil.
Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng said that Datuk Seri Abdul Hamid Bador is duty-bound to do so, fearing the wellbeing of those who could have been victimised by the officers in question during their investigation.
“Abdul Hamid is now duty-bound to order a mass re-investigation into the closures or the prosecutions of the criminal cases handled in the past recent years by the 112 police officers who abused drugs, in particular the police superintendent,” he said in a statement.
“The police chief noted that personnel involved in drug abuse were also suspected of committing extortion and bribery, with foreign workers as their victims. This is a sad state of affair for the country’s enforcement agency.
“No one would ever know the number of innocent people who were victimised and wrongfully punished by these rogue men in blue,” Lim added, praising the IGP however for honesty in revealing the state of affairs with his officers.
In applauding Abdul Hamid’s action, Lim also called on other heads of enforcement agencies to take a leaf out of the former’s book, whom he portrayed as a fine example.
“Other enforcement agencies must also conduct more drug eradication inspections with the aim of cleansing Malaysia’s enforcement departments of corruptive elements and improving its integrity,” Lim added.
Last week, in an interview with national news agency Bernama, Abdul Hamid said that the drug contagion in the country was at a critical level and has seeped into even the police force.
He disclosed that an internal operation on August 13 found over 100 personnel attached to state headquarters nationwide to have tested positive for illicit substances, notably syabu or methamphetamine.
He said the policemen caught for drug-related offences were likely involved in other crimes such as bribery, blackmail and extortion of foreign workers to feed their addiction.
The IGP said Ops Blue Devil was also aimed at cleaning up the force of corruption, boosting its integrity and cracking down on drug distributors and illicit drug laboratories in the country.
The state news agency cited Narcotics Crime Investigation Department director Commissioner Datuk Mohd Khalil Kader Mohd said a total of 3,438 policemen were screened under the special operations.
He added that 86 tested positive for syabu and nine others for ganja, ketamine and amphetamine.
Mohd Khalil said action will be taken against the rogue police officers, adding that they will be charged in court.
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