A suspected drug offender arrested by CNB officers in a two-week island-wide drug operation from 6 to 17 Feb 2023. - The Straits Times/ANN
SINGAPORE, Feb 18 (The Straits Times/ANN): A 32-year-old woman was arrested on Feb 9, after officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) found a small amount of heroin and methamphetamine, or Ice, as well as various drug paraphernalia, at a residential unit in Sembawang Drive.
She was one of 133 suspected drug offenders who were arrested after a two-week drug operation from Feb 6 to 17 that covered areas including Hougang, Jurong and Tampines.
The woman’s two-month-old infant was also in the unit during her arrest, said CNB.
The bureau added that the woman, who has been under investigation for drug offences since 2022, was suspected to have abused drugs during and after her pregnancy.
Arrangements have been made to ensure that her child is taken care of, and the baby has since been placed in the custody of a next of kin, CNB said.
Station Inspector Marlina Djumadi, who was involved in the operation, said that the possibility of the woman abusing drugs during her pregnancy may have endangered the health of her newborn child.
“Drug abuse is not a victimless crime – it has dire consequences on families and innocent children,” she said.
About 64g of heroin, 528g of Ice, 94g of cannabis, 512g of ketamine, 5g of new psychoactive substances, 670g of Ecstasy tablets, 214 Tapentadol tablets and three bottles of liquid suspected to contain gamma-hydroxybutyrate were seized during the islandwide operation. Investigations into all arrested suspects are ongoing.
According to CNB’s annual statistics for 2022, there has been an increase in the number of cannabis seizures and new abusers of the drug.
Ice also continues to be one of the most commonly abused drugs, although the number of methamphetamine abusers arrested in 2022 fell slightly to 1,445, from 1,595 in 2021.
Drugs with a total estimated street value of $14.04 million were seized in 2022. These included 67.17kg of heroin and 26.75kg of Ice. In 2021, CNB seized 95.43kg of heroin and 49.95kg of Ice.
The number of new drug abusers nabbed in 2022 decreased by 15 per cent to 797, compared with 936 in 2021. About half of all new drug abusers arrested in 2022 were below the age of 30. - The Straits Times/ANN
