SINGAPORE - A mother of three young children was among 76 suspected drug offenders arrested in a five-day island-wide operation, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said.
Two of her children, aged 12 and 14, were present when she was arrested at her residential unit, CNB said in a Facebook post on March 15.
Ice (methamphetamine) and the drug paraphernalia were recovered from her bedroom, where her children had open access to, said CNB, adding that the children have since been placed in the care of their next-of-kin.
According to an earlier report, checks by The Straits Times on reported cases in 2024 showed CNB officers rescued at least 10 children during drug raids at residential units that year.
In 2023, four children were rescued during such raids.
In a March 15 press release on the operation that took place from March 10 to 14, CNB said a total of about 462g of heroin, 357g of Ice, 58g of cannabis, 11g of ketamine, 46g of Ecstasy, and 76 Erimin-5 tablets were seized.
The items seized were estimated to be worth more than $97,800, said CNB.
Some of the areas covered include Bukit Merah, Chai Chee, Tiong Bahru, Jurong, Yishun.
On the morning of March 11, CNB officers arrested a 30-year-old Singaporean man in the vicinity of Tampines Street 82 for suspected drug trafficking offences. About 10g of Ice were recovered from him.
After escorting him to his residential unit nearby, officers conducted a search of the place and found 160g of Ice and 42g of Ecstasy.
On the same morning, CNB officers raided another residential unit along Bishan Street 12 and arrested a 28-year-old Singaporean man, and a 41-year-old Singaporean woman on suspicion of drug trafficking offences.
A search of the unit recovered about 430g of heroin, 28g of ice, 14g of cannabis, and 46 Erimin-5 tablets.
Investigation into all arrested suspects are ongoing.
A suspected drug offender arrested by CNB officers in an island-wide drug operation from March 10 to 14.PHOTO: CNB
In its annual statistics report released on Feb 12, CNB said that the total number of new drug abusers totalled 966 in 2024, more than the 952 arrested in 2023.
New abusers below the age of 30 made up more than half of all new cases for the second year in a row, according to the report.
It is an offence to traffic or offer to traffic a controlled drug for oneself or on behalf of another person, whether or not that other person is in Singapore, as is preparing to traffic a controlled drug or offering to do so, the bureau said.
Anyone found guilty of trafficking more than 15g of pure heroin (diamorphine), 250g of Ice, 500g of cannabis may, face the mandatory death penalty.
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