Man wanted for drug trafficking in Singapore arrested in Thailand; returns to Singapore to face charges

A 31-year-old Singaporean man has been arrested by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on 19 September 2024 for suspected drug trafficking.

2. His involvement was uncovered during the course of CNB’s investigation into two drug trafficking cases in December 2020 and November 2022. The accused persons in those cases, two Singaporeans aged 21 and 29 at time of arrest, were charged for trafficking in substantial amounts of methamphetamine separately. The 21-year-old has been convicted and sentenced to 22 years’ and 6 months’ imprisonment with 15 strokes of the cane, while the 29-year-old has been convicted and sentenced to 8 years’ imprisonment with 7 strokes of the cane.

3. An arrest warrant was issued against the 31-year-old man for his suspected involvement in supplying drugs to associates in Singapore for their subsequent trafficking and sale in Singapore. Immigration records showed that the man had been out of Singapore since 11 April 2016. CNB reached out to its foreign counterparts for information on his whereabouts.

4. The 31-year-old man was arrested by the Thai authorities on 17 September 2024, subsequently deported and handed over to CNB on 19 September 2024.

5. In expressing appreciation to Thailand’s Office of the Narcotics Control Board, SAC Leon Chan, Acting Director of CNB, said:

“We thank our Thai counterparts for the close cooperation and swift action to bring the suspect back to Singapore to face the law. Drug syndicates exploit global interconnectivity to operate remotely, creating threats that extend far beyond borders and inflicting profound impacts on the safety and security of our local community. CNB will continue to collaborate closely with our foreign counterparts to track down drug syndicates and dismantle their networks no matter where they operate, and we will spare no efforts in bringing to justice those who choose to cause harm and profit from the suffering of others.”

6. The 31-year-old man will be charged in court on 20 September 2024 for drug trafficking offences. Investigations into other members of the syndicate are ongoing.

Photo 1 (CNB): The 31-year-old man (right of photo) arrested by CNB officers on 19 September 2024.

CENTRAL NARCOTICS BUREAU
19 SEPTEMBER 2024