Two bundles of Heroin seized at Woodlands Checkpoint

1. In the early morning hours at about 6.30am on 25 October 2017, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers directed an arriving Malaysia-registered motorcycle, driven by a lone male Malaysian, for further checks at Woodlands Checkpoint.

2. During the course of checks, officers from the ICA and Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) detected two bundles suspected to contain controlled drugs under the seat of the motorcycle. The 25-year-old man was placed under arrest and the case was handed over to CNB for further investigations. The two bundles were later found to contain a total of about 1kg of heroin, estimated to be worth about S$106,000.

Heroin seized at Woodlands Checkpoint. (Photo: CNB)

3. Investigations are ongoing. The Misuse of Drugs Act provides for the death penalty if the amount of diamorphine (or pure heroin) trafficked exceeds 15g. 15g of diamorphine is equivalent to 1,250 straws*, which is sufficient to feed the addiction of about 180 abusers for a week.

4. Our borders are our first line of defence in safeguarding Singapore's security, and security checks are critical to our nation’s security. The Home Team agencies will continue to conduct checks on passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contrabands.

IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
CENTRAL NARCOTICS BUREAU
25 OCTOBER 2017

* This is estimated using a typical purity level of 4%, based on drug seizures in recent years. The number of straws that are actually made may vary according to the purity level of the heroin used in the straws