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The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) conducted an island-wide operation in four phases from Nov. 16 to Nov. 30, targeting drug transactions conducted on encrypted chat applications such as Telegram.

A total of 50 suspected drug offenders were arrested and an estimated S$20,400 worth of drugs were seized.

Island-wide operation

In a press release on Dec. 1, CNB stated that the island-wide operation included areas such as Ang Mo Kio, Boon Lay, Hougang, Pasir Ris, and Punggol.

About 55g of "Ice" (methamphetamine), 395g of cannabis, 48g of ketamine, 44 "Ecstasy" tablets, 14 LSD stamps, 25g of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), 15 Erimin-5 tablets, and three bottles of liquid suspected to contain GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) were seized.

On the evening of Nov. 18, CNB officers intercepted a vehicle near Punggol Way and arrested a 20-year-old Singaporean male.

21 packets — containing a total of about 16g of "Ice", 247g of cannabis, 9g of ketamine, 30 "Ecstasy" tablets, six LSD stamps, and one Erimin-5 tablet — were recovered from him.

Later that same evening, a separate party of CNB officers carrying out a follow-up operation arrested a 35-year-old Singaporean male near Sengkang East Way.

After a search was conducted, a packet containing about 25g of cannabis was recovered from him.

He was also escorted to a residential unit in the same vicinity, where drug paraphernalia were seized.

Drug transactions dealt on Telegram

CNB said that it is aware the criminals, including drug trafficking syndicates, have been utilising encrypted chat applications such as Telegram for their illegal activities.

"CNB monitors such developments carefully, and has been taking regular enforcement actions against offenders who utilise such platforms for their drug activities."

For example, here is a phone conversation about a drug transaction between a drug client and his supplier through Telegram:

Aaron Tang, Director of Intelligence Division, said that CNB monitors such developments and is on the constant lookout for emerging trends and platforms.

He added: "Given the popularity of messaging applications for daily communications, it is no surprise that drug syndicates and drug pushers are lulled into a false sense of security in using them for their drug activities."

"These offenders may think that such applications can offer them a certain level of anonymity to allow them to carry out their illegal activities, and they can avoid CNB’s surveillance.

But they cannot be more wrong."

Tang added that the use of Telegram for criminal activities is not a new phenomenon and that CNB has been aware of and has been taking regular enforcement actions against drug offenders who use Telegram for their activities since as early as 2019.

More than 200 drug offenders who conducted transactions via Telegram have been arrested, and CNB has seized more than 14 kg of "Ice", 7.6 kg of cannabis, 400g of heroin, and an assortment of other drugs which had been transacted through Telegram, he said.

"We know their modus operandi, and will continue to be tenacious in following up on all such leads by carefully gathering intelligence and launching well-timed operations to take these offenders out.

Regardless of the platform or tactics used in an attempt to evade detection, there is no safe haven for drug offenders in Singapore."

Investigations into the drug activities of all arrested suspects are ongoing.

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Top photos via Central Narcotics Bureau.