SINGAPORE: A drug syndicate operating in Singapore and Malaysia has been dismantled after a joint operation by authorities in both countries led to the arrest of the suspected ringleader.
The arrest of the 46-year-old Singaporean suspected drug syndicate leader and his associates in Johor Bahru was the result of a two-year long investigation, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said in a news release here the other day.
CNB had launched a coordinated operation with the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) of the Royal Malaysian Police for the arrests.
NCID officers also raided the fugitive’s “drug store” and home in Malaysia, seizing a total of 580g of heroin, 370g of Ice, 350g of ketamine, 150 Ecstasy tablets, 4,450 Erimin-5 tablets and cash of 48,280 Malaysian ringgit (S$18,315).
The now-dismantled syndicate is believed to have been coordinating a drug supply chain, supplying mainly heroin and ‘Ice’ to Singaporean drug traffickers. Other drugs trafficked by the syndicate included Ecstasy, ketamine, Erimin-5 and cannabis.
Investigations by the CNB started in December 2012. Between then and February 2015, CNB launched a series of operations to disrupt the drug trafficking activities of the syndicate, resulting in the arrest of 40 drug offenders and seizure of about 8kg of heroin, about 1.7kg of Ice, about 1.9kg of cannabis and other drugs.
Mr Ng Ser Song, the director of CNB, said: “The successful conclusion of the protracted investigation against this drug syndicate is a result of the firm resolve and commitment of CNB and NCID to take down drug syndicates.”
