Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers seized about 12kg of heroin with a street value of more than $1.2 million - its largest haul of the drug since Feb 5, 2008 - from a suspected drug trafficker on Wednesday night.

The bureau said in a statement on Thursday that had the shipment of heroin flowed onto the streets, it would be enough "to supply one straw of heroin per day to more than 1,300 abusers for a month".

An operation was launched on Wednesday targeting the 46-year-old Singaporean, who was suspected of actively distributing heroin in Singapore. It was believed he would be receiving a fresh consignment of drugs from a neighbouring country.

CNB officers who were deployed in the Tagore area - near Upper Thomson - spotted the suspect in his car at around 10.30pm. When they moved in to arrest him, the man tried to escape by driving his car up the side pedestrian curb of the road. In the process, he hit and damaged a few CNB vehicles and a taxi parked along the road. He also put up a violent struggle while being arrested.

Investigations are ongoing. If convicted, the man may face the death penalty.

CNB director Ng Ser Song said: "If this 12kg heroin had been distributed onto our streets, it would feed the addiction of huge numbers of heroin addicts, at a cost to our society. CNB will persevere and continue to pursue to the fullest extent those who traffic in drugs at the expense of our society."