Brunei's Drug Headache Increase 30 Percent

Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei's drugs headache has increased by 30 percent last year.

A press briefing revealed that the number of arrests for drug abuse in the sultanate recorded a large growth in numbers last year compared to the previous year.

Last year the number of arrests increased to 713 from 547 in year 2001. From the number, 629 are males with 59 per cent were first time offenders.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Director Awang Haji Momin in an interview with the press said according to the bureau's statistics 237 offenders were aged 31 years and above.

17 were those under the age of 15 years while 110 were aged between 16 and 20 years.

Awang Haji Momin stressed that in combating against this ever-increasing problem, it was essential to curb the demand and supply of drugs.

"It is time that we enforce the counter legislation with greater efficiency in the sultanate," he remarked.

Brudirect.com