The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) has raised alarm over a growing trend in Kelantan, where local drug kingpins are allegedly using their displays of wealth and luxury to lure school students into the world of drug trafficking.
Kelantan Police Chief Datuk Yusoff Mamat revealed that these individuals flaunt their expensive cars, designer clothes, and affluent lifestyles as a form of manipulation to attract young minds. He said such ostentatious behaviour excites impressionable students, who begin idolising the criminals and, over time, become drawn into their networks.
According to him, the process often starts small, with students asked to perform minor tasks or deliveries. Once they witness the quick profits from their involvement, they reportedly become addicted to the lifestyle and increasingly entangled in the illegal trade.
Between January and September this year, police have recorded 12 cases involving school students caught in drug-related offences in Kelantan. Authorities are now intensifying surveillance and preventive measures to stop what they describe as a worrying new trend threatening the state’s younger generation.
The police chief emphasised that the issue extends beyond typical drug syndicates. Many of these operations are linked to seemingly legitimate businesses that serve as fronts for narcotics and money laundering activities. Earlier this year, he revealed that several so-called product founders and social media influencers in the state were found to be using their ventures to conceal their drug dealings.
Kelantan has also seen several high-profile drug busts this year, underscoring the state’s growing prominence as a trafficking hotspot. In July, a married couple posing as chicken sellers and e-hailing drivers was arrested in connection with an RM3.1 million drug operation. Two months later, enforcement agencies seized RM30.2 million worth of narcotics in a joint operation with the Kelantan Customs K9 unit — one of the largest seizures in the state’s history.
Police say these criminals exploit the perception of fast money and luxury to glamorise drug dealing among youth. The strategy has proven dangerously effective in drawing students from low-income backgrounds who view the trade as a path to wealth and status.
PDRM continues to collaborate with schools and local authorities to raise awareness about the dangers of drug involvement and to dismantle the networks responsible for manipulating minors. Datuk Yusoff reaffirmed the police’s commitment to eradicating drug activities in Kelantan and protecting the state’s young people from becoming the next victims of criminal influence.
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