Drug suspects arrested after dramatic stand-offs with authorities

David Sun
The New Paper
November 11, 2020

The authorities faced dramatic stand-offs with two suspected drug offenders in separate incidents on Sunday night.

In the first incident, officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) raided a unit on the 12th storey of Block 33 Bendemeer Road at about 8.30pm.

They were there to arrest a 61-year-old man in the unit, but he refused to open the door and threatened to harm himself. He also threatened to hurt the officers.

There was a stand-off lasting about four hours, and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and Singapore Police Force (SPF) were activated during that time.

He was finally arrested after officers from SPF's Special Operations Command (SOC) forced entry into the unit.

A police spokesman said various drug-related items were recovered from the unit.

A woman, claiming to be the man's mother, told Chinese daily Shin Min Daily News that the police took away two gas tanks as evidence. She claimed the tanks were used for her son's hobby of making small glass products.

Around the same time, CNB officers were conducting another operation at Block 149 Toa Payoh Lorong 1. Officers were spotted at about 9pm outside a unit at the block.

A man and woman in the unit refused to open the door, and the 46-year-old woman turned violent, threatening to harm herself.

The SPF's Crisis Negotiation Unit was activated and engaged the duo, allowing officers to finally enter and arrest the woman. SOC officers were on standby as a precautionary measure. The man in the unit was unharmed in the incident.

Residents of the block told Shin Min the woman was taken out of the unit on a stretcher, but was conscious and had no visible injuries.

It is believed this was done for her own safety.

The officers cleared the scene at about 2am on Monday morning.

Officers from SCDF's Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team were on standby at both stand-offs, and had deployed air packs as a precaution.

A police spokesman told The New Paper the man in the first incident in Bendemeer is being investigated for drug offences and offences under the Protection from Harassment Act. The woman in the second incident in Toa Payoh is being investigated for drugs, and was also wanted for cheating offences and possession of offensive weapons.