Over $1 million worth of drugs seized; 2 men arrested after smuggling attempt at Tuas Checkpoint

SINGAPORE – Two men have been arrested for alleged drug offences after one of them tried to smuggle over 9kg of drugs into Singapore via Tuas Checkpoint.

The drugs seized after both arrests have an estimated worth of more than $1,000,000, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) in a joint statement on Sept 28.

The authorities arrested a 32-year-old Malaysian man on Sept 23 after he tried to cross the border with the drugs hidden in a Malaysia-registered motorcycle.

ICA officers discovered sealed packets labelled as commercial biscuits, suspected to contain controlled drugs, in the rear box of the vehicle.

CNB officers were alerted to the incident and, upon further checks, found more similar sealed packets.

A total of about 6,961g of heroin, 1,116g of methamphetamine (Ice), and 1,032g of cannabis were seized from the motorcycle.

A 41-year-old Singaporean man was also arrested on the same day, after CNB officers conducted further investigations into the smuggling attempt and launched an operation near Tampines Street 83.

A total of about 790g of heroin, 602g of cannabis, 127g of Ice, 51g of Ecstasy tablets and 21g of ketamine were seized from the man and his residence, after CNB officers conducted a search in the unit.

CNB officers also seized cash amounting to $33,086. The statement did not disclose how the two men are related.

The heroin, Ice and cannabis seized could potentially feed the addiction of about 4,598 abusers for a week, the authorities said, adding that investigations are ongoing.

If a person is found guilty of trafficking more than 15g of diamorphine, also known as pure heroin, or more than 500g of cannabis, he or she may face the death penalty.