Drug mules crossing into Singapore unchecked? Malaysian ex-MP raises concerns

Former Malaysian MP Kasthuri Patto has raised concerns regarding drug mules crossing from Malaysia to Singapore, seemingly unchecked.

In a statement posted to Facebook on Sunday (Sept 28), she called on local authorities to step up enforcement at checkpoints and borders.

This will give them greater insight into the identities of illegal traffickers and recruiters — who often con, coerce, blackmail and threaten the poor and marginalised to transport drugs across the border, she said.

Kasthuri is a member of Democratic Action Party and serves as its secretary for international affairs. 

In her Facebook post, she questioned why the authorities failed to stop and search drug mules before they crossed into Singapore, citing examples of Malaysian men who were caught at Singapore land checkpoints for drug trafficking and handed the death penalty.

She wrote: "The burning and inevitable question here is: Why were they not apprehended by customs officers or police on Malaysian soil?"

"Did the Malaysian officers not know of the packages on these men or in their vehicles, or were they aware of it but 'allowed' them to pass through the Malaysian border checkpoint into Singapore so that they could be apprehended there?"

"If this is the norm, then I believe it is high time that the Malaysian authorities at checkpoints and border patrols invest and increase resources and expertise in terms of hardware and software to nab these drug mules from transborder transporting of drugs," she added.

Kasthuri stated that Malaysia must do better, not just in upholding the law, but also "justice, equality, freedom and truth —  without judgement, fear or favour, and especially for Malaysians on death row abroad".

Capital punishment "only for the most serious crimes": CNB

This comes after the execution of a 39-year-old Malaysian man in Singapore for drug smuggling on Sept 25.

Datchinamurthy Kataiah was arrested at the Woodlands Checkpoint in 2011 for smuggling 44.96g of diamorphine, or pure heroine, into Singapore.

According to the Misuse of Drugs Act, offenders may face the death penalty if the amount of diamorphine trafficked is more than 15 grammes. 

The amount trafficked by Datchinamurthy was enough to feed the addiction of about 540 abusers for a week, said the Central Narctotics Bureau (CNB) on Sept 25.

Datchinamurthy was convicted and sentenced to capital punishment on April 15, 2025. His appeal against his conviction and sentence were dismissed on Feb 5, 2016 and his petitions to the President for clemency were unsuccessful, CNB added.

"Capital punishment is imposed only for the most serious crimes, such as the trafficking of significant quantities of drugs which cause very serious harm, not just to individual drug abusers, but also to their families and the wider society," said CNB.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com