Largest heroin haul in Singapore in 19 years seized

Largest heroin haul in Singapore in 19 years seized
The total amount of heroin and other drugs seized is estimated to be worth close to $2 million.
PHOTO: The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - In its largest heroin bust in 19 years, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) seized 14.1kg of the drug in an operation that also saw officers haul in a significant cache of other drugs.

In 2001, CNB recovered 14.9kg of the drug.

The drug bust on Wednesday (Nov 11) saw about 2.8kg of crystalline methamphetamine, also known as Ice, 7.5kg of cannabis, 323g of Ecstasy fragments, 28 Ecstasy tablets, 1,008 Erimin-5 tablets and cash amounting to $12,629 seized from multiple locations.

The total amount seized is estimated to be worth close to $2 million.

Three men and two women, aged between 29 and 55, were arrested for their suspected involvement.

Speaking to the media at the CNB headquarters on Friday, Superintendent Aaron Tang, CNB's director of intelligence division, said: "Even with movement restrictions due to the Covid-19 situation, drug traffickers are still taking huge gambles and exploiting the situation so they can profit off addiction and misery."

The action started on Wednesday afternoon after CNB officers intercepted a vehicle near Siglap Road and arrested two men, aged 55 and 50, and a 52-year-old woman. All three are Singaporeans.

In their vehicle, officers found three bundles containing about 1.45kg of heroin in total.

The drug busters also found 3g of heroin and 2g of Ice on the 50-year-old man.

About 7g of Ice and 20 Ecstasy tablets were on the woman.

The officers then took the woman back to her hideout near Siglap Road where a total of 11g of heroin, 2g of Ice, one Ecstasy tablet, and one Erimin-5 tablet were recovered.

In a follow-up operation the same day, another team of CNB officers moved in and arrested a 35-year-old man after having observed him for some time near a Housing Board block near Bedok Reservoir Road.

Six bundles containing about 2.78kg of heroin, a packet containing 127g of Ice, five packets containing about 323g of Ecstasy fragments, and $629 in cash were recovered from him.

The officers raided his flat in the same block where 8.96kg of heroin, 1.95kg of Ice, 2.5kg of cannabis, 1,007 Erimin-5 tablets, seven Ecstasy tablets and $12,000 cash were seized.

A 29-year-old woman, who is a permanent resident, was arrested in the unit.

The 35-year-old man was escorted to his vehicle where 944g of heroin, 763g of Ice and 5.05kg of cannabis were recovered.

The CNB said investigations are still ongoing.

The total amount of drugs seized can, in a week, feed 6,740 heroin abusers, 1,630 Ice abusers and 1,080 cannabis abusers.

"These traffickers will not stop trying, but neither will we let our guard down. They will not go unpunished for trying to corrupt our society with drugs," said Superintendent Tang.

Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, anyone found with more than 15g of diamorphine, or pure heroin, could face the death penalty.

This article was first published in The Straits TimesPermission required for reproduction

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