Drug-related criminal cases increased 30.6 per cent last year - DOSM
KUALA LUMPUR - The statistics on drug-related cases involving the offences of supplying drugs, possessing drugs and positive urine tests showed an increase of 30.6 per cent, recording 141,289 cases last year as compared to 108,220 cases in 2021.
Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said drug supply offences increased by 18 per cent, drug possession (35.1 per cent) and positive urine tests (31.2 per cent) in 2022 compared to 2021.
"The number of arrests related to drug cases increased by 26.3 per cent to 163,697 arrests in 2022 as reported by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM)," he said in a statement today.
The statistics are based on the 'Malaysian Crime Statistics 2023' report published on the DOSM website today.
According to the report, positive urine drug test cases recorded the highest number of 69,270 cases last year compared to 52,816 cases the previous year, followed by the offence of drug possession (52,398 cases compared to 38,775 cases in 2021) while drugs supply (19,621 cases compared to 16,629 cases in 2021).
Besides drug crime statistics, the published report also contains other selected crime statistics such as index, commercial, violent and sexual crimes, corruption, environmental compliance, traffic offences, maritime and rehabilitation facilities for the year 2021 to 2022.
Among the crimes that also show an increase in the number of cases is sexual crime and according to Mohd Uzir, it recorded an increase of 2.9 per cent with 3,303 cases in 2022 compared to 3,209 cases the previous year.
"However, cases of taboo sex, sexual harassment and sexual assault, showed a decrease of 10.4 per cent, 5.7 per cent and 0.5 per cent respectively. Rape cases recorded the highest percentage increase in 2022 which is 9.6 per cent," it said.
For crimes that showed a decrease, index crimes recorded 50,813 cases last year compared to 52,974 cases the previous year, while commercial crimes recorded 30,536 cases in 2022 from 31,490 cases in 2021.
"Index crimes and commercial crimes decreased by 4.1 per cent and three per cent respectively in 2022. Index crimes including violent crimes and property crimes showed a decrease of 10 per cent and 2.4 per cent or 10,348 cases and 40,465 cases in 2022, respectively.
"Many offences under commercial crimes in 2022 reported by PDRM showed a drop except for offences related to counterfeit money and cybercrimes," he said, adding that fraud recorded the highest number at 27,247 cases followed by breach of trust (911 cases) and offences under the Moneylenders Act 1951 (832 cases).
As for corruption-related cases, Mohd Uzir said the number of investigation papers opened by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) recorded a decrease of one per cent to 820 cases in 2022 from 828 cases the previous year. - BERNAMA
