Drugs worth $480,000 seized and 4 arrested, including a man who put up 'violent struggle'

Ang Qing
The Straits Times
Feb 2, 2023

Four Singaporeans, aged between 36 and 54, were arrested on Tuesday for suspected drug offences. One of them put up a violent struggle during the arrest.

In a statement on Thursday, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said that about 6,788g of heroin; 9g of methamphetamine, also known as Ice; 22g of cannabis; 102 Erimin-5 tablets and 14 bottles of methadone – with a total estimated street value of $480,000 – were seized during the operation.

On Tuesday afternoon, CNB officers arrested a 49-year-old man and 36-year-old woman at a residential block in the vicinity of Jurong West Street 93 for suspected drug trafficking offences.

"As officers moved in to arrest both suspects, the man put up a violent struggle and necessary force was used to subdue him," a CNB spokesman said.

Several packets and straws containing about 70g of heroin were also recovered from the man.

Officers then raided the man’s residence located in the same block, where they arrested two other men, aged 51 and 54, in the unit.

About 7g of heroin, two Erimin-5 tablets and five bottles of methadone were seized from various locations in the unit.

Prior to the pair’s arrest in the residential unit, suspected controlled drugs were believed to have been thrown out of the unit’s window. Officers later recovered the substances, which included packets containing about 32g of heroin.

The 49-year-old man and 36-year-old woman were also escorted to the man’s suspected hideout located in the same block, where about 6,679g of heroin, 9g of Ice, 22g of cannabis, 100 Erimin-5 tablets and nine bottles of methadone were found.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Aaron Tang, director of CNB’s intelligence division, said the 6,788g of heroin seized can feed the addiction of about 3,200 abusers for a week.

He said: “Should the drugs that were seized from the operation be circulated in Singapore, the lives of these 3,200 abusers and their families would have been destroyed.

"There is no place for drugs in our society."

A person who is found guilty of trafficking more than 15g of diamorphine, or pure heroin, 250g of Ice or 500g of cannabis may face the death penalty.

Investigations into the suspects’ drug activities are ongoing.

The Straits Times

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