Seizure and confiscation of ill-gotten proceeds from drug trafficking

On 28 October 2024, the Court issued a confiscation order for S$16,384.15 against a male foreigner. The amount represents his benefits derived from drug trafficking activities.

Case Details

2. The man was arrested by CNB officers in an anti-drug operation on 7 September 2020. He was 25 years old at the time. During the arrest, about 3.3 grams of Ice was seized. CNB’s investigations revealed that he was involved in drug trafficking activities.

3. Upon his arrest in 2020, cash amounting to S$15,365.06 and a beaded bracelet with a yellow charm valued at S$470.00 were seized. During investigations, his OCBC account with a total balance of S$549.09 was also put on hold. Concurrent investigations revealed that the total assets seized, including the seized cash, was disproportionate to the man’s known income.

4. On 9 December 2021, he was convicted of trafficking, consumption and possession charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act and was sentenced to an imprisonment term of 6 years and 5 strokes of the cane. Following his conviction, CNB sought a confiscation order against him to forfeit the benefits derived by him from illicit drug trafficking activities. This was applied for by the Public Prosecutor and subsequently granted by the High Court on 28 October 2024.

5. Under Section 6 of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992, any person who is convicted of one or more drug dealing offences is subjected to have the benefits derived by him from drug dealing offences confiscated.

6. CNB will continue to actively pursue and investigate illegal drug activities including illicit drug money laundering to ensure that drug offenders do not benefit from their financial gains derived from drug dealing. This aligns with the Government’s continued efforts to ensure that our laws remain effective against the evolving crime landscape and are in line with the standards set out by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)¹.

CENTRAL NARCOTICS BUREAU

13 NOVEMBER 2024

¹The FATF is an intergovernmental body that develops international standards to fight money laundering, terrorism financing (TF) and proliferation financing (PF). Singapore is a member of the FATF.