SINGAPORE - About 2.2kg of heroin, estimated to be worth more than $154,000, was seized by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on Wednesday during an operation to arrest a suspected drug trafficker.
The suspect, a 38-year-old Singaporean man, was believed to be receiving a fresh consignment of drugs at Tampines North. CNB officers on the scene on Wednesday evening saw him meet another man carrying a green bag inside a commercial building in the area.
Both men then proceeded to a side staircase. Twenty minutes later, the second man, a 27-year-old Malaysian, left the building without his bag and took a taxi, which CNB officers continued to track.
An hour later, the suspected drug trafficker left the staircase with the green bag. He was arrested within the commercial building.
About 1.4 kg of heroin was found inside the bag, and a further search of the man's locker at the building seized another 0.8kg of heroin, along with drug paraphernalia and cash amounting to $6,400.
The Malaysian male was stopped at Woodlands Checkpoint when he was attempting to leave Singapore. Cash amounting to $8,000 was recovered from him and his 26-year-old female travelling companion.
The CNB also arrested a Singaporean male, 27, in Simei during a follow-up investigation.
Investigation into the four arrested are currently ongoing. If convicted, the Singaporean drug trafficking suspect and the Malaysian man may face the death penalty. Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, traffickers face the death penalty if the amount of pure heroin trafficked exceeds 15g.
