Two Malaysian men arrested after bottles of kratom found in lorry at Jurong Port

SINGAPORE — Two Malaysian men in their thirties were arrested after Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) officers found bottles believed to contain kratom — an illegal drug — in a lorry at Jurong Port.

The ICA officers had found four bottles of brown liquid and two bottles containing remnants of a similar substance hidden beneath and behind the driver's seat of a Malaysian-registered lorry that was carrying metal beams on Dec 10. 

According to ICA, kratom contains the Class A controlled drugs mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, both of which are listed under the Misuse of Drugs act. It can come in the form of fresh leaves which are chewed directly, or as dried leaves or powdered extract which are then boiled.

Kratom can cause effects similar to both opioids and stimulants, said the US-based National Institute on Drug Abuse on its website. It can also cause uncomfortable or dangerous side effects such as seizures or hallucinations.

In a Facebook post on Sunday (Dec 22), the ICA said the two men, aged 35 and 38, were arrested in connection to the case, which has been referred to the Central Narcotics Bureau for further investigation.

If found guilty of importing Class A controlled drugs into Singapore, the men could face at least 5 years in jail and 5 strokes of the cane, up to a maximum of 30 years imprisonment and 15 strokes of the cane.