CENTRAL Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers seized 4.68kg of heroin
with a street value of $702,000 on Thursday, making it the largest
seizure of heroin since 2008.
In an operation launched at around 7.30am on Thursday, the CNB
arrested a man, suspected to be the leader of a local drug
syndicate and two other men believed to be accomplices.
In a statement, the CNB said the operation was mounted when
information was received that a drug transaction would be taking
place between the drug syndicate leader and a 56-year-old man. At
around 9am, CNB officers spotted the drug syndicate leader leaving
his flat at Commonwealth Close. He proceeded to the vicinity of
Kitchener Road, where he was seen meeting up with the 56-year-old
man and handing over an envelope. Both were immediately
arrested.
The envelope was found to contain approximately $3,000. The
56-year-old man then led the CNB officers to his rented car where
approximately 16g of heroin was recovered within. The drug
syndicate leader's car was also searched and approximately 600g of
heroin was recovered in the car.
In the follow-up raid on the drug syndicate leader's flat, a
38-year-old male, believed to be his drug associate, was arrested.
There, CNB officers also recovered approximately 4kg of heroin,
kept in a bag, as well as drug paraphernalia, including weighing
scales, empty plastic sachets and drug smoking utensils.
All three persons are Singaporeans and unemployed. They will be
investigated for drug trafficking. Under the Misuse of Drugs Act,
the penalty for unauthorised trafficking of heroin ranges from a
minimum of 5 years' imprisonment and 5 strokes of the cane, to
death.
