The seemingly innocuous Malaysia-registered oil tanker arrived at the Old Woodlands Checkpoint on 27 June 2011 at about 2.30pm and was directed to the Arrival Inspection Bay for further checks. Although the vehicle was huge, it did not deter the vigilant Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers from inspecting it thoroughly to ensure that undesirable items do not get past our borders.

2.      While searching the blue oil tanker, the observant ICA officers noticed a black cloth wedged in a hollow metal pipe near the rear mudguard. Upon removing the cloth, the officers found a taped red plastic bundle coiled with metal wire. Suspecting that it might contain controlled drugs, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers were alerted.

      
                                                          The innocuous oil tanker
(left: rear view of the mudguard; right: close-up of the suspicious-looking bundle in the pipe)

3.      The bundle recovered from the pipe weighed approximately 24 grams and is suspected to be cannabis. It is worth an estimated street value of $792.

              
                                       (left: the red ‘packaging’; right: cannabis uncovered)

4.      The 30-year-old Malaysian driver was arrested by CNB and will be investigated for the unauthorised importation of a controlled drug. The minimum penalty for the unauthorised importation of cannabis would be five years imprisonment and five strokes of the cane.

5.      Our borders are our first line of defence in safeguarding Singapore's security. The enhanced security checks are critical to our nation’s security. We have tightened our security checks on passengers, vehicles and conveyances at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contrabands.


IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY
28 JUNE 2011