On 18 Jul 2007, at about 2235 hrs, ICA officers from Woodlands Checkpoint stopped an arriving Malaysia-registered van and diverted it for further checks at the inspection pit. The vehicle was driven by a male Malaysian Indian.

2 In the course of the checks, the officers observed that the driver appeared unsettled and was sweating profusely. This aroused the officers’ suspicions that something was amiss. Upon detailed checking, a compartment was found in the floorboard of the vehicle, concealed under layers of floor mats. When the compartment was opened, a sling pouch was found within, containing a package wrapped in brown paper. When unwrapped, the following items were found:

- 700 tablets of Erimin-5
- One sachet of suspected Ketamine weighing 51.1 grams
- One sachet of suspected “Ice” weighing 5.4 grams

3 The driver, aged 25, denied knowledge of the package and claimed that he had borrowed the van from a relative for a leisure trip into Singapore. The driver was arrested, and together with the vehicle, handed over to the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) for further investigations. If convicted on the offence of importation of a controlled drug, he will face a minimum sentence of 5 years imprisonment and 5 strokes of the cane.

Security at our checkpoints

4 In view of the current global situation, enforcement agencies at all entry and exit points are working closely together to step up security inspections of all persons, goods and vehicles entering or leaving Singapore. As a result, would be drug traffickers can also expect to face a heightened gauntlet of security checks and measures at our entry and exit points.