SINGAPORE – A 49-year-old man at Woodlands Checkpoint who said he had made a wrong turn and did not intend to leave Singapore was found to have no valid identity or travel documents on him.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s (ICA) First Response Team officers who did a biometric screening of the Singaporean driver discovered that he had allegedly provided a false identity.
The Singapore-registered car had entered the immigration clearance lane of the departure car zone at the checkpoint in the early hours of March 19, ICA said on Saturday.
“Upon performing a body search, the driver was found with three vapes and a cable knife,” it added.
Controlled drugs – comprising about 332g of Ice, or crystal methamphetamine, and 28g of heroin – with an estimated street value of $52,000 were seized from the vehicle.
Officers also found suspected drug paraphernalia, three kitchen knives and an electronic vaporiser refill.
The driver was arrested and investigations by the Central Narcotics Bureau are ongoing.
ICA said: “Safeguarding Singapore’s borders is ICA’s top priority. ICA will continue to work with our law enforcement agencies to conduct security checks at the checkpoints and detect persons who attempt to flout the law.”
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.