AN Australian broadcast journalist was arrested in Singapore on drug-related charges, and faces up to 20 years in jail and 15 strokes of the cane if convicted.

Peter Lloyd, the South Asia correspondent of the Australian Broadcasting Cooperation (ABC) was caught on Wednesday by the Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) in a follow-up search following the arrest of a 31-year-old Singaporean drug abuser at Block 714 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 on Wednesday.

In a statement late on Thursday night, CNB said Lloyd, who is in Singapore on a social visit pass, had allegedly supplied the Singaporean man with drugs and was caught with 0.8 grams of methamphetamine, one smoking pipe and six syringes.

The Singaporean man had 0.6 grams of 'Ice' on him.

CNB said Lloyd's urine had tested positive for amphetamine.

He is being investigated for trafficking in a controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act and will be charged in court on Friday.

If convicted, he can be jailed from five to 20 years and caned up to 15 strokes.

In a follow-up operation, CNB officers arrested another four Singaporeans for drug trafficking and drug abuse offences.

Statement from ABC
ABC News director John Cameron said in a statement on Friday morning that Lloyd was in Singapore on leave from his posting in New Delhi when he was arrested.

'The ABC has not been told the full details of the case, but we were aware that Peter had been undergoing hospital treatment in Singapore for a serious eye infection, which he contracted while on leave,' he said.

'The ABC is in close contact with consular officials and is also taking steps to ensure Peter is given appropriate legal representation.'

Lloyd was reportedly due to return to Australia to front a new breakfast news program on ABC2 in September.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) spokesman in Canberra confirmed the Australian's arrest.

'The Australian High Commission in Singapore has visited Mr Lloyd and is providing consular assistence to him,' added the spokesman.

According to ABC, Lloyd joined the company in 1988, working in the Sydney television newsroom for three years before moving to Britain to work for the BBC and British Sky News.

He has since reported for Australian audiences from all over the world and became the ABC's South Asia correspondent in mid-2002.

From 2002 to mid-2006, he was based in Bangkok reporting on South East Asian affairs.

His compelling reports on the Bali bombings and later the tsunami disaster earned him several Walkely Award nominations, according to ABC.

Singapore drug laws are among the world's toughest and anyone caught carrying more than 15 grams of heroin, 30 grams of cocaine, 500 grams of cannabis or 250 grams of methamphetamines faces a mandatory death sentence by hanging.

In 2005, Australian drug smuggler Tuong Van Nguyen, 25, was hanged in Singapore after he was convicted of smuggling 400 grams of heroin from Cambodia through Singapore's Changi airport in 2002.