Drugs, phone, weapon found inside Ipoh police lock-up, Bukit Aman orders full investigation

KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 — Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail has ordered a full investigation after drugs and other prohibited items were found inside a police lock-up in Ipoh, Perak.

He said the discovery was made during an inspection of holding cells, and that police routinely carry out such checks nationwide.

“We are continuously carrying out inspections and operations. I have instructed district police chiefs to inspect lock-ups from time to time.

“All state police chiefs have the authority to conduct inspections, and district police chiefs also carry out the same duties. Overall, the situation is good and under control,” he told a press conference at Bukit Aman today.

However, he acknowledged a lapse in the Ipoh case and confirmed immediate disciplinary action.

“In one recent case, we found that during our investigation there was a lapse where several prohibited items, including drugs, were discovered inside the lock-up.

“I have instructed the district police chief to carry out a full investigation and to suspend the officers and personnel involved,” he said.

He added that further action will be taken in coordination with the Narcotics Department and other agencies to prevent similar incidents.

Police uncovered a cache of prohibited items – including drugs, a mobile phone and a sharp weapon – during a surprise inspection at the Central Police Station in Ipoh district headquarters lock-up, Malay newspaper Harian Metro reported this morning.

The inspection, carried out by the Integrity and Standards Compliance Department of the Perak police contingent, reportedly took place last Tuesday night following a tip-off.

It involved a cell holding four male detainees, where officers first found a mobile phone before discovering drugs concealed in a box labelled “Fire Sens”, believed to contain heroin and methamphetamine.

Perak police chief Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin said investigations are ongoing to determine how the items were smuggled into the lock-up.