Fourteen people were arrested in Johor Bahru on February 23 after a joint operation conducted by Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and Malaysia's Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) crippled a regional drug syndicate based in Malaysia. During the operation, authorities also seized drugs worth S$404,000.
The arrested people aged between 19 to 65 include six Singapore men, seven Malaysian men, and one Thai woman. Among the items seized were 4,333 Ecstasy pills, 950 grams of Ketamine, 200 Eramin-5 pills, and 12.8 kilograms of Ice. The authorities also seized five cars and cash worth S$8,000 and RM5,000.
The Central Narcotics Bureau issued a press release on February 25, stating that the agency has been closely working with Malaysia's Narcotics Crime Investigation Department since January 2018. during the time, the team investigated the modus operandi of the crime syndicate which supplied drugs within Malaysia as well as to some other countries in the region.
"It is important that drug enforcement agencies cooperate closely to take out drug syndicates that operate with no respect for borders. Through close and timely cooperation, we can take the fight to the drug syndicates," said Ng Ser Siong, director of the Central Narcotics Bureau.
The NCID is conducting further investigations on this case, and if the Singaporeans becomes convicted of drug trafficking, they may get the death penalty.
In a similar operation, the Central Narcotics Bureau had seized drugs worth S$74,000 from a vehicle parked at a petrol station in Pasir Ris Drive 1, Singapore on February 12, 2018. Five drug offenders were arrested from the spot, and it includes one Malaysian man.
On January 09, 2018, CNB arrested five people and seized about 1.9 kg of cannabis and 1.1 kg of heroin in an operation conducted near Evans Road in Bukit Timah. The drugs seized were worth S$142,000.
