CNB beefing up its officers’ presence at checkpoints

SINGAPORE – The presence of Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers at various checkpoints around Singapore is being stepped up, according to its new director.

When asked how CNB is responding to the fact that drugs are becoming more easily available in some countries during an interview with the media on Friday, Mr Sam Tee said officers work closely with the checkpoint authorities and airports, and provide deterrence to would-be drug traffickers.

“We work closely with them... to educate and remind people that it is against the law to bring drugs back to Singapore. 

“In fact, we are now doubling down on putting up more signage, messages at the checkpoints so that our people, when they go overseas, or travellers when they are at the departure area, they will see all these reminders. And when they come back, they will also see signs (that are) prominent,” added Mr Tee, 52, who became CNB’s director-designate on Aug 15 and director on Nov 6.

There have been reports of

accidental consumption of cannabis overseas

.

Mr Tee, formerly senior director of the Joint Operations Group in the Ministry of Home Affairs, advised travellers to assume responsibility for checking for cannabis labels and asking what is in the dishes they order.

“If you consume it intentionally, then we have our ways to profile, observe upon your arrival. And then we may subject you to some form of test,” he said, adding that the detection and arrest of returning travellers happen daily.

Mr Tee, who is also a former commander of the Airport Police Division and Traffic Police, said

the liberalisation of drugs around the world

is making people in Singapore think about what it should be like here.

“Domestically it is also a concern, because our people are getting more liberal, especially the youth. And in their mind, (they think) this is just soft drugs. ‘I watch Netflix and I see people taking drugs and it looks okay, it looks cool.’

“And it doesn’t help that our people also go overseas for exchanges and holidays. And those drugs are widely available, particularly cannabis,” he said.

Based on preliminary statistics for the first nine months of 2022, Mr Tee said there are signs that cannabis abuse is quickly returning to its pre-Covid-19 level, with the number of abusers, particularly those younger than 20, and the volume of the drug seized having already outstripped 2021 figures.

He cited a recent case where

five teenagers aged 14 to 16 were arrested for suspected trafficking of cannabis,

and said it is “madness” that teenagers are not only consuming but also selling drugs.

He highlighted another case of a 17-year-old who was recently charged in court, together with an 18-year-old and a 22-year-old, for trafficking more than 4kg of cannabis that had a street value of at least $120,000.

Soon after the interview on Friday, it was reported that

a 14-year-old boy had been arrested on Tuesday for suspected drug trafficking

at a flat in Lower Delta Road. He was among 96 suspected drug offenders nabbed in a CNB operation.

According to

CNB’s annual statistics released in February,

young people continue to make up the bulk of first-time drug abusers, with three in five offenders below age 30. People in that age group formed 33 per cent of all drug abusers caught. 

Mr Tee said it is worrying to see students from a wide range of backgrounds and schools – both local and international – becoming involved in drugs and that they report doing so out of curiosity.

He also highlighted a “contamination effect” that is observed when students who are arrested have sold drugs to people they know.

“It’s like cancer. And if we don’t stop the cancer cell, it will spread. And certainly once it spreads to a majority, it becomes terminal,” he said.

Another area of concern for the new CNB chief is the obtaining of drugs from overseas via parcels and from chat groups like Telegram, which gives buyers the perception that they would not get caught and makes it easier than ever before to buy and consume drugs.

“With Telegram... they will just hear from friends, you can go to this channel. You don’t know who is selling to you, it doesn’t matter. And you just order, and they will just drop it somewhere and you can just PayLah, PayNow, etc. And this cover gives them the (sense) that it is very safe,” he noted.

Mr Tee emphasised that CNB

has arrested many drug abusers from Telegram,

and that it has the capabilities to detect and arrest buyers, regardless of the platform they use.