SINGAPORE: Five suspects, including a suspected drug syndicate leader, were arrested and drugs worth more than S$158,000 were seized during an operation conducted by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on Tuesday.
According to a press release on Wednesday, CNB said its officers were deployed in the vicinity of Kembangan, where a local drug trafficker was believed to be waiting for a fresh consignment of drugs. They then trailed the suspected trafficker, 57, after he boarded the car driven by a 37-year-old Malaysian suspected to be a drug courier.
When he alighted, the officers arrested the Singaporean and recovered about 1.36kg of heroin and 1kg of cannabis from a paper bag he was holding. He had a further 200g of heroin, 120g of cannabis, 146 Ecstasy tablets, nine Erimin-5 tablets and a “small amount” of Ice on him, a further search revealed. They also found about S$2,600 in cash on him.
CNB officers then raided the 57-year-old’s hideout in Siglap Road and arrested a 35-year-old female Singaporean, who is suspected to be a drug abuser and had about 5g of Ice on her. About 110g of ketamine and some methadone were also recovered from the unit, the CNB added.
Seperately, another group of officers followed the Malaysian drug courier to Jurong, where he was arrested after alighting from the car. Cash of more than S$5,000 and some Malaysian currency was recovered from him, CNB said.
Follow-up investigations also led to the capture of a suspected drug syndicate leader, 28, in Tampines. He is believed to be coordinating drug consignments for local drug traffickers. A 25-year-old Singaporean female, his suspected associate, was arrested too, the agency added.
Investigations into the drug activities are ongoing. The Misuse of Drugs Act provides for the death penalty if the amount of diamorphine, or pure heroin, trafficked exceeds 15g. Those convicted of trafficking in more than 500g of cannabis may also face the death penalty, the press release noted.
