PUBLISHED ONOctober 28, 2025 1:17 PMBYSean LerImmigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers arrested a 37-year-old Malaysian motorcyclist at Tuas Checkpoint on Oct 14 for attempting to smuggle a bottle of liquid, believed to be kratom, which contains drugs.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Oct 28), ICA said he was directed to undergo further checks and was asked if he had anything to declare.
The man said he had nothing to declare.
"A thorough check uncovered (a) bottle containing suspected kratom liquid in the man's bag," ICA said.
The case has been referred to the Central Narcotics Bureau for further investigations.
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia, and is also referred to by its street names of "biak", "kakuam", "ketum", "thang" and "thom", and can be found in the form of crushed leaves, brewed tea, or gel capsules.
Consumption of kratom leaves are known to produce stimulant or sedative effects, or even psychotic symptoms — depending on the dosage.
This is due to the presence of two major psychotic ingredients in the leaves — mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine — which are listed as Class A controlled drugs in Singapore.
Checks online by AsiaOne show that the US Drug Enforcement Administration has listed kratom as a drug and chemical of concern.
Those found guilty of importing Class A controlled drugs into Singapore may be sentenced to at least five years in jail and caned.
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