CNB keeps up the pressure in the new year - 4-day island-wide operation netted 113 drug offenders and 1.4kg heroin

Two weeks into the new year, Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers kept up the pressure on the ground, mounting a 4-day island-wide operation from 7 January 2013 to the morning of 11 January 2013, arresting 113 suspected drug offenders and seizing drugs worth about S$185,000. Drugs seized included about 1.4kg of heroin, 725g cannabis, 37g of ‘Ice’, 428 ‘Erimin-5’ tablets and 107 Ecstasy tablets. Officers from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Volunteer Special Constabulary had also lent their support to CNB for the 4-day operation.

The operation was conducted in many areas across the island, including Ang Mo Kio, Yishun, Woodlands, Choa Chu Kang, Bukit Batok, Queenstown, Redhill, Telok Blangah, Jurong, Geylang, Bedok, East Coast Road, Joo Chiat, and Eu Tong Sen Street.

Blitz in east nets large heroin haul

In an operation on 7 January 2013, at around 1600hrs, SPF officers from Police ‘G’ Division on anti-crime rounds in the vicinity of Joo Chiat Road spotted a male behaving suspiciously. The male fled as the police officers approached but was arrested after a short chase. An on-the-spot search of the 36-year-old male suspect by the police officers recovered about 160g of heroin, a digital weighing scale, some empty plastic sachets and more than S$1,300 in cash.

The 36-year-old suspect was referred to CNB Supervision ‘G’ Division where another four packets of heroin, totalling about 30g, were found concealed in the suspect’s underwear.

As a result of follow-up investigation from the Police’s arrest, CNB officers conducted several follow-up arrests. In one, CNB officers, after a stake-out at one of the budget hotels at Joo Chiat, arrested three additional suspects – a 35-year-old male who was arrested for suspected trafficking and two suspected drug abusers. Another related operation in the vicinity of East Coast Road netted the arrest of a 23-year-old Malaysian courier. In total, about 1kg of heroin, 21g Ice and small amounts of cannabis and Ecstasy were recovered, along with more than S$6,000 in cash.

Further investigations and operations were carried out to flush out the rest of the drug suspects linked to the group. On 10 January, at about 1445hrs, CNB officers arrested a 33-year-old male believed to be the drug supplier of the 36-year-old arrested at Joo Chiat on 7 January. Officers seized about 226g of heroin and drug paraphernalia from his hideout. A 27-year-old fast food delivery man, believed to have delivered drugs to the 33-year-old male, was arrested separately along Haig Road and about 52g of cannabis was found hidden in his motorcycle.

Investigations are on-going for all suspects.

Yishun ‘Drug Den’

In one of the many raids during the 4-day island-wide operation, CNB officers raided a HDB unit in Yishun Avenue 6 on the morning of 7 January 2013, arresting five suspected drug offenders, aged between 28 and 47, within the unit. After gaining access into the unit, a thorough search of the unit and the suspects recovered about 25g heroin, small amounts of Ice, Ketamine, and ‘Erimin-5’ tablets. A follow-up operation after the raid – which saw CNB officers swooping down on other suspected drug offenders in various locations - resulted in the arrest of five additional suspected drug abusers, aged between 36 and 56.

A 41-year-old man caught in this raid is being investigated for drug trafficking. If convicted, he may face a minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment and 5 strokes of the cane. The other nine persons are being investigated for drug consumption.

Director CNB, Mr Ng Ser Song, thanked all the officers involved in this round of operations for their hard work and said, “CNB will continue with our vigorous enforcement action against illicit drug activities into the new year and we want to send a strong signal to drug offenders of our zero tolerance stand against drug abuse.”

CENTRAL NARCOTICS BUREAU
11 JANUARY 2013