Death of drug abuser who fell from 7th-storey flat during CNB raid ruled a misadventure

SINGAPORE - A drug abuser who climbed out of a window of a seventh-storey Housing Board flat fell to his death when Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers raided the unit on Nov 30, 2021.

There was, however, no evidence that Mr Koh Suay Tee, 59, had leapt from the master bedroom window of Block 47, Jalan Tiga, near Old Airport Road, to take his own life, said State Coroner Adam Nakhoda in his findings on March 31, 2023.

He found Mr Koh’s death to be a misadventure, and said it was likely Mr Koh used the only opportunity he had to try to escape by climbing out of one of the master bedroom windows.

The State Coroner added: “He had, of his own accord... taken the very risky step of climbing out of the master bedroom window. As a result of his precarious position, fell... to the ground below.”

Court documents showed Mr Koh had been jailed multiple times for various offences, including drug consumption and trafficking, between 1989 and 2005.

He was admitted to a drug rehabilitation centre for treatment and placed on supervision programmes many times between 1977 and 2011.

The State Coroner noted that Mr Koh was diagnosed at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) with opioid dependence, namely heroin addiction.

He was seen by the National Addictions Management Service from 2016 and was admitted thrice to IMH for drug detoxification.

At around 8am on Nov 30, Mr Koh took some heroin to the seventh-storey flat belonging to Mr Ang Boon Lai.

The two men packed the drug in Mr Ang’s room. Mr Ang recalled Mr Koh had smoked heroin there.

At around 12.30pm, CNB’s Special Task Force officers went to arrest Mr Ang at the unit.

The team arrived at the block shortly before 1pm and an officer, identified in court documents as “EE”, told one of his colleagues, “MN”, to observe the back of the unit from the ground floor.

The other officers went to Mr Ang’s home.

State Coroner Nakhoda said EE explained that as part of protocol for CNB raids, at least one officer would be deployed at the back of the unit to observe subjects trying to jump or scale out of the units.

The officer would also look out for items being discarded.

At the flat, the Special Task Force team saw the front door open, but the main gate was locked.

EE and the other team members announced themselves as CNB officers and told the occupants to open it. Mr Ang then saw Mr Koh entering the master bedroom.

Two other men inside the flat – Mr Tiew Eng Wan and Mr Lim Poh Eng – told EE they did not have the key to the lock.

Mr Ang approached the gate with a bunch of keys but refused to hand them to EE. Mr Ang then went to the master bedroom but Mr Koh was not there.

Meanwhile, MN heard a loud thud and saw Mr Koh lying motionless on the ground.

MN immediately called an ambulance, which arrived at 1.15pm.

Mr Koh was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He suffered severe traumatic injuries, including fractures to his skull, and was pronounced dead at the hospital at 2.25pm.

Mr Ang, Mr Tiew and Mr Lim were arrested when drug exhibits were found in the flat.

Court documents did not disclose the outcome of their cases.