Drugs worth S$140,000 seized, 32 arrested in series of CNB raids
A total of 32 suspected drug offenders were arrested in a two-day islandwide CNB operation, targeted at drug transactions conducted on encrypted chat applications. (Photos: Central Narcotics Bureau)
SINGAPORE: Thirty-two suspected drug offenders were arrested during a two-day Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) islandwide operation that ended on Tuesday (Apr 19).
The raids, which targeted drug transactions conducted through encrypted chat applications, covered areas such as Bukit Panjang, Compassvale, Jurong West and Sembawang.
A variety of drugs estimated to be worth about S$140,000 were also seized.
This includes about 191g of Ice, 718g of cannabis, 4g of ketamine, 4g of cocaine, 714g of Ecstasy tablets, multiple lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) stamps, 201 Erimin-5 tablets and two bottles of liquid suspected to contain gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB).
In one of the cases, two men were arrested in the Bukit Batok West area on Monday evening.
One of the men is a 26-year-old who was suspected of being involved in drug transactions conducted on Telegram.
He was escorted to his home in the area, where officers found a total of about 173g of crystalline substances believed to contain Ice, 488g of cannabis, 713g of Ecstasy tablets, 51 Erimin-5 tablets, multiple LSD stamps and one bottle suspected to contain GHB.
Officers also arrested a 24-year-old man who later visited the unit for suspected drug offences.
Investigations into the drug activities of all suspects are ongoing, CNB said.
A similar operation was carried out in November last year, in which 50 suspected offenders were arrested, said Superintendent Stanley Seah, Deputy Director of CNB’s Intelligence Division.
“Drug offenders naively assume that these chat applications can afford them the anonymity to facilitate their illegal activities, so that they can evade CNB’s detection but they are wrong,” he said.
“This latest operation shows that CNB is not letting up on our efforts against drug offenders, regardless of whichever methods they use to mask their activities.”
Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, it is an offence to traffic or offer to traffic in a controlled drug.
It is also an offence to do or offer to do any act preparatory to or for the purpose of trafficking in a controlled drug.
This includes those who do so on their own behalf, or on behalf of another person – regardless of whether the other person is in Singapore or not.
Those found guilty of trafficking more than 500g of cannabis may face the mandatory death penalty.
