Suspected drug trafficking via unmanned aircraft; Four arrested

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) have arrested four Singaporeans, three men and one woman, aged between 24 and 40, for suspected drug activities. A total of about 389g of ‘Ice’, 8g of heroin, 195 ‘Ecstasy’ tablets and two Erimin-5 tablets, estimated to be worth at least S$44,000, were seized.

2 On 17 June 2020 at about 5.45pm, the Police detected unusual unmanned aircraft activity in the vicinity of Kranji Reservoir Park. Police officers from Woodlands Police Division were dispatched to investigate the suspicious activity, and they observed an unmanned aircraft, with a bag attached to it, hovering in the air at Kranji Reservoir Park. The Police subsequently found and arrested two men, aged 29 and 34, who were believed to be the operators of the said unmanned aircraft. The unmanned aircraft and a black bag were retrieved by the Police.

Photo-1 (CNB): Unmanned aircraft and drugs seized by CNB on 17 June 2020.

3 Preliminary investigations revealed that the bag contained substances suspected to be controlled drugs – about 278g of ‘Ice’. During a subsequent search by CNB officers of one of the men’s car parked in the vicinity of Kranji Reservoir Park, an assortment of controlled drugs, about 35g of ‘Ice’, 8g of heroin and 195 ‘Ecstasy’ tablets, were also found. The two men were suspected to have operated the unmanned aircraft from Singapore, to import drugs from Malaysia. The flight data retrieved from one of the suspect’s phone showed that the unmanned aircraft had flown from Kranji to Johor Bahru and back again to Kranji that day.

4 In a follow-up operation conducted by CNB on 18 June 2020, another man and woman were arrested in connection with the two men earlier arrested at Kranji Reservoir Park. The 24-year-old woman, a suspected drug abuser, was arrested in the vicinity of a private housing estate at Marne Road. The 40-year-old man, a suspected drug trafficker, was arrested shortly after, in a unit within the private housing estate. Forced entry was effected as the man refused to heed the lawful orders of the CNB officers to open the door. A total of about 76g of ‘Ice’, a small amount of heroin, two Erimin-5 tablets and cash amounting to S$13,230, were found within the unit.

5 Investigations are ongoing. The 29 and 34-year-old men have since been charged on 19 June 2020 with trafficking Class A controlled drugs. The total amount of 389g of ‘Ice’ that had been seized in these operations is sufficient to feed the addiction of about 220 abusers for a week.

Photo-2 (CNB): Cash and some of the drugs seized by CNB on 18 June 2020 at vicinity of Marne Road.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

CENTRAL NARCOTICS BUREAU

20 JUN 2020