Some 64 per cent of new drug abusers arrested in 2018 were under the age of 30, Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said on Monday.

In a message signed off by CNB director Ng Ser Song, the bureau said also that on the whole, the number of drug abusers arrested last year rose by 11 per cent from 2017 to 3,438.

On the whole, the number of new drug abusers arrested in Singapore also went up by nine per cent to 1,366 — about 40 per cent of the total.

These, Ng wrote, were primarily NPS and methamphetamine (or "Ice") abusers.

However, the number of repeat drug abusers arrested also went up 12 per cent to 2,072 in 2018.

Amount of heroin seized increased sharply by 47 per cent in 2018

CNB also said some S$6.65 million in street value worth of drugs were seized last year.

In particular, the volume of heroin seized was 54.18kg, up 47 per cent from 36.92kg in 2017, while 61.78kg of cannabis was confiscated last year, up 40 per cent from 2017.

That being said, seizures of "Ice" decreased by 13 per cent from 2017 to 19.33kg.

Almost 1,600 anti-drug operations conducted

Ng added that last year saw nearly 1,600 operations conducted against drug traffickers and abusers in Singapore.

Of these operations, CNB added that 19 were islandwide operations aimed at drug traffickers and abusers while 1,575 operations were conducted at the checkpoints to intercept drugs coming into Singapore.

Ng noted that up to 26 drug syndicates were also dismantled.

Global and regional drug situations are worrying

Ng added that the CNB currently faces challenges from developments in drug abuse taking place around the world.

These namely came in the form of a push for alternative, liberal drug policies in some countries, an increase in the production and trafficking of methamphetamine, and the growing market for new psychoactive substances.

The CNB further noted separately that data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) World Drug Report 2018 indicated that Southeast Asia has since become one of the world's largest markets for methamphetamine, as well as the second-largest market for opium and heroin.

Anti-drug efforts stepped up

Ng says the CNB has since stepped up its preventive drug education efforts, such as improved collaboration with its Anti-Drug Advocates partners to reach out to youths on the dangers of drugs.

Ng also highlighted that the Misuse of Drugs Act was amended in January to strengthen CNB's enforcement and enhance rehabilitation.

CNB elaborated that these amendments included the criminalisation of contaminative acts which:

• promote or facilitate drug use,
• expose a child to drugs or drugs paraphernalia,
• permit a young person to abuse drugs.

As for rehabilitation, CNB said that drug abusers who admit to drug abuse will be sent to rehabilitation, if they face no other concurrent chargers.

Should they face concurrent charges however, they will continue to be charged and be liable to be sentenced to long-term imprisonment, if applicable.

Top image collage from CNB