'Accident' turns out to be drug bust

It may have looked like a traffic accident, but the event in a video clip - involving three cars along Bukit Batok West Avenue 2 - was no accident.

In fact, it was a Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) operation, which led to the arrest of a 26-year-old suspected drug trafficker.

A CNB spokesman said that the incident took place on July 2 at about 1pm.

According to her, CNB officers had earlier moved in to arrest the suspect, but he attempted to evade arrest by crashing his car through a public carpark's gantry.

"CNB officers stopped his car successfully a short distance later along Bukit Batok West Avenue 2. About 200g of Ice was seized from the male Singaporean's car," the spokesman said.

The video clip of the incident, which was first uploaded on YouTube about a week ago by a netizen, has gone viral, with more than 132,000 views as of 11.30pm on Sunday.

The unfolding drama appeared to have been shot from a nearby bus stop.

At the start of the clip, the sound of a revving car engine, along with shouts of vulgarities in Hokkien, can be heard.

It appeared as if the CNB officers wanted the occupant of the car, which was sandwiched by two others, to come out.

An officer was seen breaking the rear right passenger window.

Almost immediately, more plainclothes CNB officers - some wearing gloves - appeared.

They had arrived in two cars and a motorcycle, which stopped behind the suspect's car.

One car, which supposedly belonged to the CNB officers, also stopped at the front of the suspect's car, boxing it in.

Two officers were seen climbing onto the suspect's car. One charged up the bonnet and the other jumped on the boot.

While some netizens have commented that a Taser gun might have been used on the suspect - judging by what they heard from the clip - CNB has clarified that such a device was not used during the operation.

The dramatic clip has led to comments from netizens. A few criticised the officers, saying they looked like hooligans.

Most, however, defended the officers' work, saying they were working undercover and needed to dress suitably.

Meanwhile, more drugs were recovered at the suspect's home.

At a Bukit Batok condominium, CNB officers recovered another 488 Ecstasy tablets, about 160g of ketamine, 56 Erimin 5 tablets, a small amount of Ice and drug paraphernalia.

The suspect has been charged.

This article by The New Paper was published in MyPaper, a free, bilingual newspaper published by Singapore Press Holdings.