SINGAPORE – Thirty-five suspected drug offenders were arrested for their involvement in drug transactions via encrypted chat applications following a nine-day operation earlier in April, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said on Thursday (April 20).
The islandwide bust began on April 11 and covered areas such as Ang Mo Kio, Bukit Panjang, Choa Chu Kang, Marsiling and Novena.
In total, 9,529g of cannabis, 916g of methamphetamine (Ice), 560g of Ecstasy, 320g of ketamine, 450 Erimin-5 tablets, 77 lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) stamps, one bottle of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and another 122g of substances believed to be controlled drugs were seized.
The more than 11kg of drugs seized were estimated by CNB to be worth about $560,000.
Among the 35 offenders was a 42-year-old man whom officers arrested for suspected drug trafficking at the void deck of a residential block in the vicinity of Haig Road on April 11.
During the arrest, about 783g of cannabis, 117g of Ice, 97g of Ecstasy, 60 Erimin-5 tablets and 13 LSD stamps were seized by officers at the void deck.
The man was then escorted to a residential unit, and about 8,519g of cannabis, 766g of Ice, 461g of Ecstasy, 320g of ketamine, 390 Erimin-5 tablets, 56 LSD stamps, 122g of substances likely to be controlled drugs, and various drug paraphernalia were recovered from within the unit.
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Another of the 35 offenders was a 24-year-old Singaporean woman who was arrested on Tuesday for suspected drug offences at a residential unit in the vicinity of Compassvale Link. About 2.3g of cannabis and various drug paraphernalia were recovered from within the unit.
A day later, an 18-year-old male student was arrested at a residential unit in the vicinity of Choa Chu Kang Crescent. After a search of the unit, about 2.8g of cannabis was recovered.
Superintendent Stanley Seah, deputy director of CNB’s intelligence division, noted that the use of chat applications that allow for encrypted communication, such as Telegram, has become increasingly popular among drug offenders for buying and selling illicit drugs.
“Many of these drug offenders think that such chat applications would enable them to transact anonymously,” said Supt Seah. “They cannot be more wrong.”
CNB said it first observed the use of chat applications for these purposes in 2019 and has since arrested more than 500 drug offenders who made such online transactions for illicit drugs.
It is an offence for a person to traffic in a controlled drug, or to offer to traffic in it on anyone’s behalf, the CNB said.
It is also an offence to carry out or to offer to perform any act preparatory to or for the purpose of trafficking in a controlled drug.
A person found guilty of trafficking more than 250g of Ice or 500g of cannabis faces the mandatory death penalty.
Investigations into the drug activities of all the suspects arrested are ongoing.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.