State Minister for Women, Community Wellbeing and Family Development Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said Kuching has been categorised as a drug “red zone” following the sharp rise in cases.
KUCHING: Kuching has been classified as the state’s leading drug hotspot after recording the highest number of drug-related offences so far this year.
State Minister for Women, Community Wellbeing and Family Development Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said Kuching has been categorised as a drug “red zone” following the sharp rise in cases.
“Kuching is categorised as a red zone for drug problems as it has recorded the highest number of drug cases in Sarawak so far this year.
“A total of 2,080 drug cases were recorded in Kuching between January and May, making it the area with the highest number of drug-related offences.
“Kuching is now a red zone for drug cases,” she said during a meeting on drug-related issues at the ministry’s One-Stop Centre here.
Fatimah said other major urban centres recording high numbers of drug-related cases include Miri, Sibu and Bintulu.
She added that the increase in arrests was partly due to intensified police operations targeting both drug traffickers and users.
Concerns over the growing drug problem in Sarawak had already been raised by lawmakers last year.
On May 25, 2025, Deputy Minister of Women, Community Wellbeing and Family Development Datuk Razi Sitam said the state urgently needed more drug rehabilitation centres due to the increasing number of new drug dependants detected each year.
He said Sarawak currently has only one Narcotics Addiction Rehabilitation Centre, located in Puncak Borneo near Kuching, which serves the entire state.
