SINGAPORE — Thirty five suspected drug offenders have been arrested and more than 11kg of drugs seized in a series of island-wide operations from April 11 to 19 targeted at transactions conducted through encrypted chat applications.

The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said in a statement on Thursday (April 20) that this mode of transaction for dealing in drugs is an "emerging trend" that it is continuing to monitor.

The use of chat applications that allow for encrypted communication, such as Telegram, has become increasingly popular among drug offenders to buy and sell illicit drugs, said Superintendent Stanley Seah, the deputy director of CNB's intelligence division.

“Many of these drug offenders think that such chat applications would enable them to transact anonymously. They cannot be more wrong," he added. 

CNB said it observed the phenomenon as early as 2019 and has since arrested more than 500 drug offenders who engage in illegal online drug transactions.

"Our officers will continue to monitor emerging trends and evasive tactics, and launch well-timed operations to take down drug offenders," it added. 

CNB said the operations were conducted in areas such as Ang Mo Kio, Bukit Panjang, Choa Chu Kang, Marsiling and Novena.

A total of about 9,529g of cannabis, 916g of "Ice", 560g of "Ecstasy", 320g of ketamine, 450 Erimin-5 tablets, 77 lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) stamps, one bottle of GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) and 122g of substances believed to be controlled drugs were seized.

The drugs were estimated to be worth about S$560,000. 

CNB highlighted several of the arrests and drug seizures made though it did not provide details of all 35 arrested.

One was of a 42-year-old man arrested on the evening of April 11 for suspected drug trafficking at the void deck of a residential block in the vicinity of Haig Road at Katong. 

During the arrest, about 783g of cannabis, 117g of "Ice", 97g of "Ecstasy", 60 Erimin-5 tablets and 13 LSD stamps were seized by CNB 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 believed to be controlled drugs, and various drug paraphernalia were recovered from within the unit.

On April 18, a 24-year-old Singaporean woman was arrested for suspected drug offences in a residential unit in the vicinity of Compassvale Link, and about 2.3g of cannabis and various drug paraphernalia were recovered from within the unit.

The next day, an 18-year-old student was arrested for suspected drug offences in a residential unit in the vicinity of Choa Chu Kang Crescent.

About 2.8g of cannabis was recovered in a search conducted in the unit, said CNB. 

CNB said that under Section 5 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1973, it is an offence for a person, on his or her own behalf, or on behalf of any other person, whether or not that other person is in Singapore, to traffic in a controlled drug, offer to traffic in a controlled drug; or to do or offer to do any act preparatory to or for the purpose of trafficking in a controlled drug.

"If a person is found guilty of trafficking more than 250g of methamphetamine or 500g of cannabis, he or she may face the mandatory death penalty," said CNB. 

Investigations into the drug activities of all arrested suspects are ongoing, CNB added.