- Illustrative photo.
SINGAPORE: Some 82 people were arrested after drugs worth over S$132,000 were seized in a five-day, island-wide operation.
In a statement on Saturday (June 21), the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said that the anti-drug blitz took place from June 16 to 20, and covered areas like Ang Mo Kio, Bukit Merah, Changi, Punggol and Woodlands.
A total of about 1,307g of cannabis, 739g of heroin, 196g of ‘Ice’ (methamphetamine), 52 cannabis seeds, two Ecstasy tablets, 2g of cannabis resin and 1g of cannabis-infused tablet were seized.
The seized drugs were estimated to be able to feed the addiction of 640 abusers for a week, they added.
Police officers were alerted to a call for assistance on June 14 at a residential unit in Punggol Central.
They arrested a 35-year-old Singaporean man after searching the unit and finding substances believed to be controlled drugs and drug paraphernalia.
CNB officers were alerted and took over the investigation of the drug offences.
In another incident on June 16, CNB officers launched a drug bust in Yishun Avenue 6 after some follow-up investigations.
A 34-year-old Singaporean man was arrested after a search of a residential unit saw a total of about 29g of cannabis and drug paraphernalia.
Another follow-up operation later in the evening saw the arrest of two male foreign nationals at Moonstone Lane in Bendemeer - a 31-year-old for suspected drug trafficking offences and a 37-year-old for alleged drug consumption.
A search of the 31-year-old’s e-bike and his hideout in Bendemeer found a total of about 1,095g of cannabis, 19g of ‘Ice’, drug paraphernalia and cash amounting to $3,944.
On June 18, officers arrested a 59-year-old Singaporean man for alleged drug trafficking in Bukit Merah, which was soon followed by an arrest of another 69-year old Singaporean man in the same vicinity for drug-related offences.
A total of about 209g of heroin and 17g ’Ice’ were seized from the former’s place.
Another 62-year-old Singaporean man was nabbed in Yishun Avenue 4 for suspected drug trafficking. CNB officers had to force their way into his residential unit after the man refused to open the door.
A search of the unit recovered about 247g of heroin and small amount of ‘Ice’.
Investigations into all arrested suspects are ongoing.
Anyone found guilty of trafficking more than 15g of diamorphine, or “pure heroin”, or 250g of methamphetamine or more than 500g of cannabis may face the mandatory death penalty.
According to CNB’s annual statistics report on Feb 12, in 2024, there were 126 new drug abusers under the age of 20 arrested, with the youngest aged 13.
This was 30 per cent more than the 97 nabbed in 2023.
New abusers totalled 966 in 2024, an increase from the 952 arrested in 2023.
However, the number of repeat offenders arrested was 2,153 in 2024, down from 2,170 in 2023. - The Straits Times/ANN
