The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has arrested a Singaporean couple for smuggling drugs via Woodlands Checkpoint. ICA said in a statement on Thursday that the couple were travelling with their four-year-old child.
When ICA officers asked the male driver few questions during clearance checks on Tuesday at the checkpoint on Tuesday, they found that the 33-year-old suspect was showing his unwillingness to answer those questions.
However, after conducting further investigation on the man along with his 30-year-old wife, officers found three slabs of 10 Erimin-5 tablets, which were hidden beneath the woman's undergarment.
Both the accused were handed over to the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), including seized drugs and their vehicle. Now the further investigation will be taken care of by the officers from CNB.
The post clearly stated, "Our borders are our first line of defence in safeguarding Singapore's security, and security checks are critical to our nation's security."
"The Home Team agencies will continue to conduct checks on passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contrabands," the post further added.
The drug control law in Singapore, called Misuse of Drugs Act, classifies all the substances in three categories Classes A, B, and C.
However, the law stated that if a person was found with large amounts of drugs, then he or she simply presumed by law to be trafficking. In addition to that, if anyone owns a house or a car in which illegal drugs have been found, then also that suspect will be presumed under the law to have possession of the drug, unless he or she can prove otherwise.
Under the Act, the prescribed penalties for possession of small amounts range from fines of up to $20,000 to a maximum of ten years imprisonment.
The CNB has a complete list of controlled drugs that people should not bring into Singapore. As per Section 17 of the Act, if a person was caught while carrying those controlled substances, then he or she will be automatically presumed to be trafficking in drugs.
