No, we are not talking about charismatic charlatans or motivational men with feel-good messages. The speakers we are referring to are the non-living kind, and one such set was used by a Singaporean man to hide 'Ecstasy' pills and other controlled drugs he had tried to smuggle through Woodlands Checkpoint on 4 Mar 06.

2 On 4 Mar 06 at about 2050 hours, an officer at Woodlands Checkpoint stopped and conducted a check on the Singapore-registered motorcycle ridden by the smuggler at the Arrival motorcycle lane. The 21-year-old male Singaporean motorcyclist got off his motorcycle and looked very nervous as the officer checked his vehicle carefully. Upon checking, a white box was found concealed in the speaker compartment at the front of the motorcycle. Three packets containing a total of 300 tablets of orange coloured pills were found in the white box. The tablets were suspected to be 'Ecstasy' pills. After a thorough check, one packet containing 25 grams of white powdery substance suspected to be 'Ice' and five sachets with 20 grams of crystalline substance suspected to be Ketamine were found. The motorcycle was seized and the driver was immediately arrested.

3 The case was referred to the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) for investigation for the offence of importation of a controlled drug.

4 Further investigations by CNB revealed that the drugs seized belonged to a friend of the suspected importer. CNB officers mounted an ambush operation to arrest his friend, who is a 21-year-old unemployed male Boyanese Singaporean. On 5 Mar 2006, at about 0050 hours, the suspect and his girlfriend, an 18-year-old female Malay Singaporean, were arrested at the entrance of Alexandra Hospital. The male suspect's residence at Blk 8 Hougang St 92 was raided and an Erimin-5 tablet was seized from therein.

5 In a follow-up operation the recipient of the drugs was identified. He is a 25-year-old male Chinese Singaporean who is unemployed. He was arrested near Blk 221B Boon Lay Place Food Village at about 0605 hours. CNB officers also arrested another suspect, an 18-year-old female Chinese Singaporean, who was in his company.

6 The hideout of the 25-year-old trafficker, located at Blk 185 Boon Lay Avenue, was raided. Therein, his girlfriend, a 19-year-old female Chinese Singaporean, was arrested in the bedroom. In a search conducted, CNB officers seized another 29 'Ecstasy' tablets, two Erimin-5 tablets, and approximately 2.3 grams of Ketamine and 5.5 grams of 'Ice'.

7 The 21-year-old suspected importer will be charged for the offence of importation of a controlled drug. His 21-year-old friend, who tested positive for benzodiazepines, will be charged for the offence of abetment to import a controlled drug. The 25-year-old suspected trafficker, who tested positive for amphetamine and benzodiazepines, will be charged for the offence of trafficking in a controlled drug. If convicted, all three suspects will face a minimum sentence of five years imprisonment and five strokes of the cane. The remaining three female suspects arrested tested positive for benzodiazepines. The 18-year-old female Malay has been released on bail pending urine analysis by the Health Sciences Authority. The 18 and 19-year-old Chinese females have been remanded pending further investigation.

8 Close cooperation between the Home Team agencies led to the success of the entire operation, which resulted in a total seizure of 329 'Ecstasy' tablets, 30.5 grams of 'Ice', 22.3 grams of Ketamine and three Erimin-5 tablets, worth more than S$18,000 in street value.

9 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, drug traffickers can also expect to face a heightened gauntlet of security checks and measures at our entry and exit points