SHAH ALAM - Kelantan police have uncovered a disturbing new trend among local drug kingpins, flaunting their wealth to lure school students into drug trafficking.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said the display of luxury by these individuals made an impression on many young people, who began to idolise and imitate their lifestyle.
"They (the drug kingpins) flaunt their wealth to attract the attention of students. Eventually, these students become influenced and start getting involved on a small scale.
"When they see the lucrative profits, they become trapped," he said during a press conference, today.
Yusoff, who earlier officiated the "Citra Remaja Unggul" Programme at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Ismail Petra in Kota Bharu said the discovery was based on information and intelligence received by the police.
Monitoring was now being carried out to prevent the situation from worsening, he added.
Also present at the event were Kelantan State Education Department director Siti Norina Muhamad and Kelantan State Health Department director Datuk Dr Zaini Hussin.
Yusoff revealed that 12 students have been arrested between January and September this year for drug-related offences, signalling a worrying trend among youth.
"Out of that number, five students were arrested in Kota Bharu, four in Tanah Merah, two in Pasir Mas and one in Bachok," he said.
Yusoff stressed that the police were intensifying their surveillance and enforcement efforts to prevent students from being influenced by the false glamour and fast money associated with the drug trade.