16-year-old among 78 arrested in anti-drug operation; over $200,000 worth of drugs seized

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An assortment of drugs seized from the operation in Ang Mo Kio.

An assortment of drugs seized from the operation in Ang Mo Kio.

PHOTO: CNB

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SINGAPORE - A 16-year-old student was among 78 suspected drug offenders arrested in an islandwide operation from May 18 to 22.

More than $200,000 worth of drugs were seized, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said in a statement on May 22.

A total of 1,949g of heroin, 469g of cannabis, 351g of Ice, 30g of Ecstasy, 1,190 Erimin-5 tablets, two bottles of liquid gamma-hydroxybutyrate and cash amounting to about $5,600 were seized.

The heroin, Ice and cannabis seized can potentially feed the addiction of 1,196 abusers for a week, CNB added.

The operation covered areas such as Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Bukit Batok, Jurong West, North Bridge Road, Punggol and Tampines.

On the morning of May 18, CNB officers conducted an operation at a residential unit in the vicinity of North Bridge Road. This followed an earlier arrest of a 12-year-old Singaporean girl for suspected drug abuse the week before, said CNB.

A 30-year-old Singaporean man was arrested for suspected drug abuse and for permitting a young person to consume drugs, while a 16-year-old Singaporean girl was arrested for suspected drug abuse.

CNB said its officers had to force their entry as both suspects refused to comply with orders to open the door.

A search was conducted at the unit, and drug paraphernalia was seized.

Preliminary investigations found that the man had allowed the 12-year-old girl to consume drugs.

In a separate case on May 18, CNB officers launched an operation in the vicinity of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 and arrested a 57-year-old Singaporean man at a void deck for suspected drug-trafficking offences.

A search of the man’s residential unit in the vicinity was conducted. A total of 1,785g of heroin, 454g of cannabis, 228g of Ice, 29g of Ecstasy, 1,190 Erimin-5 tablets and cash amounting to about $5,100 were seized.

That same day, CNB officers raided a residential unit in the vicinity of Punggol Place.

They arrested a 43-year-old Singaporean woman for suspected drug-trafficking offences and a 44-year-old Singaporean man for suspected drug abuse.

Forced entry was carried out as both suspects refused to comply with officers’ orders to open the door. A search was conducted and 59g of Ice and five Ecstasy tablets were seized from the unit.

Those who import into or export from Singapore more than 15g of diamorphine, or pure heroin, may face the death penalty.

Those aged 21 and above who expose controlled drugs or drug paraphernalia to a child, or permit or fail to take reasonable steps to prevent a young person from consuming controlled drugs, shall be liable for prosecution, CNB said.

Investigations into the drug activities of all the arrested suspects are ongoing, the agency added.

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