Tok bali: A Malaysian man detained in India for alleged drug trafficking has provided crucial information that has led to significant breakthroughs in identifying a wider drug network, as announced by Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. The minister revealed that the intelligence was gathered through cooperation with Indian authorities via Police-to-Police (P-to-P) channels and ASEAN platforms, which facilitated the Malaysian police's interrogation of the detained national.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Saifuddin highlighted that the questioning of the detainee yielded extensive information, resulting in several arrests. The authorities are now working to determine whether the individual acted independently or as part of a larger criminal organization. "We want to establish whether he acted alone, whether he was one of the perpetrators in organized crime, and so on," Saifuddin stated at a media conference following a ceremony for the completion of the Region Three Marine Police Base project in Tok Bali.

The Malaysian man, aged 62, was apprehended by Chennai Customs in India on August 31 for allegedly attempting to smuggle 3.452 kilograms of hydroponic cannabis, with an estimated worth of about 1.20 crore (RM520,000), into the country. This incident has prompted Malaysian authorities to bolster security measures at entry points, particularly airports, due to recent cases of nationals being detained abroad.

Saifuddin mentioned that the Home Ministry, in collaboration with the Transport Ministry, has proposed a comprehensive 17-point plan to the Cabinet aimed at enhancing security for both outbound and inbound movements. The measures, which include short-, medium-, and long-term initiatives, involve coordination among multiple agencies such as the police, Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS), Immigration Department, aviation security, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).