S'porean, 58, trafficked drugs & instigated another S'porean to do so, gets over 28 years' jail

Between 2020 and 2023, a Singaporean man worked for a Malaysia-based drug syndicate, trafficking drugs into Singapore.

He was said to have a role equivalent to that of a "chief operating officer", and at one point instigated another Singaporean to traffic drugs as well.

He also laundered more than S$1.27 million in drug proceeds, a High Court judge found.

Lian Hoe Heng, 58, was sentenced to 28 years and nine months' jail on Dec. 30.

Earned six figures

Lian used to own two companies Chuan Hup Seng Tentage Construction and Long Seng Chairs & Tables Rental Enterprise, The Straits Times reported.

In November 2018, he left Singapore for Malaysia and lived in Johor Bahru until he was repatriated in 2023.

From 2020, he worked for a drug syndicate and took instructions from a syndicate member known as "Kadi".

Lian's role was to coordinate the supply of drugs into Singapore, taking orders from customers and arranging for their delivery into Singapore.

He would liaise with runners or customers, and tell them to transfer payment to various bank accounts in Singapore and Malaysia.

Lian was paid in methamphetamine or a few hundred dollars per order, and earned a six-figure sum in the course of his involvement with the syndicate.

Laundered money, instigated another Singaporean

Lian laundered over a million dollars in proceeds for himself and Kadi.

He pleaded to four counts of money laundering, in addition to one for drug trafficking, ST reported.

In total, he laundered S$203,000 for himself, and S$1.07 million for Kadi.

Lian also admitted to instructing another Singaporean, Tan Guosheng, to traffic 249.99g of methamphetamine.

This is just below the 250g threshold that carries the mandatory death penalty.

Arrested in 2023

Court documents detailed the events leading up to Lian’s arrest.

On Oct. 7, 2020, a runner deposited a package containing crystal methamphetamine (or Ice) at a HDB lift lobby.

Lian asked Tan, who was a customer and would help Lian collect and distribute drugs, to collect a package.

Tan in turn asked someone else to help him collect it. Once the drugs were in his possession, he drove to his rented house in Kembangan.

There, he was arrested by officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB).

CNB then liaised with its foreign counterparts for information on Lian, who was still residing in Malaysia at the time.

On Mar. 31, 2023, Lian was arrested by the Malaysian police and repatriated to Singapore the next month.

Had financial difficulties

Describing the nature of Lian's crimes, the prosecutor said that he was not simply a drug mule, but likened his role to that of a "chief operating officer".

He also noted that he was both a drug trafficker and a money launderer, and sought at least 28 years and five months imprisonment for Lian.

Lian’s lawyer said that Lian had been suffering from financial difficulties in Malaysia when he was recruited by Kadi.

In sentencing, the judge noted that Lian was a central piece of the drug enterprise who reaped a six-figure sum in his role.

He was sentenced to 28 years and nine months' jail.

Top image from CNB and Myriam Zilles/Unsplash