CNB cracks local drug trafficking syndicate, arrests 5

SINGAPORE — The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) has smashed a local drug trafficking syndicate and arrested five people — including the gang leader — in an operation that saw the seizure of drugs worth more than S$166,000.

In a media release sent on Wednesday (March 7), CNB said its officers were deployed near Punggol Drive early on Tuesday morning on the lookout for a 34-year-old Singaporean man believed to be the ringleader of the drug trafficking syndicate.

The man was spotted driving a car while his associate, a 38-year-old Singaporean man, was seen driving another car with a man and a woman aged 45 and 37 respectively.

When officers moved in to arrest the suspects, the gang leader attempted to evade arrest in his car while his associates were nabbed on the spot. Officers pursued the leader in his car, which was subsequently found abandoned in the vicinity of Tebing Lane.

Officers embarked on a search and found him hiding under a bridge along Punggol Promenade Riverside Walk. He was arrested.

When they retraced his escape route, officers found two disposed packets containing a total of about 1,000g of methamphetamine - commonly know as “Ice”. A raid on the leader’s residence in Punggol Drive recovered another 243g of “Ice”, 516 Erimin-5 tablets, 390 “Ecstasy” pills, and 200g of cannabis.

A search conducted on the vehicle of the 38-year-old associate, as well as the three suspects’ hideouts and residences, uncovered about 70g of cannabis, 50g of “Ice”, 2g of heroin, 23 Erimin-5 tablets, 2g of ketamine, two “Ecstasy” tablets and drug utensils.

CNB officers mounted a follow-up operation and arrested another 42-year-old Singaporean man who is believed to be a member of the same syndicate. A total of about 82g of “Ice”, 70g of ketamine, 21 “Ecstasy” tablets, 9 Erimin-5 pills and about 5g of cannabis were recovered from his residence in Punggol Field.

The total estimated worth of the drugs seized is more than S$166,000.

Investigations into the drug activities of all the suspects are ongoing.

According to the CNB, the Misuse of Drugs Act provides for the death penalty if the amount of methamphetamine trafficked exceeds 250g.