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ICA officers get high on busting attempt to smuggle drugs
Here is the secret to the sterling performance of ICA officers in the Woodlands Task Force Team in detecting smuggling cases: they get 'high' whenever they foil attempts by smugglers to bring illegal persons and goods across the checkpoint. Since its formation on 1 Nov 2003, the Task Force officers have detected 14 major cases resulting in the seizure of 24,663 pieces of uncensored, obscene VCDs, DVDs and CDs, 14 cars and 27 cartons of assorted brands of duty unpaid cigarettes. And success begets success. Just one day after receiving the Minister's Award for Operational Excellence, the Task Force officers foiled an attempt to smuggle cannabis into Singapore.
2 On 8 Jun 2004 at about 1325 hrs, ICA officers from the Woodlands Task Force Team stopped and conducted a check on a Singapore-registered car at Woodlands Checkpoint. Opening the boot, the officer conducted a thorough search and requested the 32 year-old male Singaporean driver to open the tool compartment located on the right side of the boot. There were two black tool bags in the compartment and our eagle-eyed officers discovered that one of the tool bags contained six packages wrapped in aluminium foil.
3 The driver informed our officers that the packages were cannabis and he was immediately arrested and the case was referred to CNB. The car was put through a thorough search but nothing incriminating was found. The drugs weighed 420g and had an estimated street value of S$4,200. He will be investigated for the offence of importing a controlled drug for the purpose of trafficking. If convicted, he will face a minimum sentence of five years imprisonment and five strokes of the cane.
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, drug traffickers can also expect to face a heightened gauntlet of security checks and measures at our entry and exit points
END OF NEWS RELEASE
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
9 Jun 2004
2 On 8 Jun 2004 at about 1325 hrs, ICA officers from the Woodlands Task Force Team stopped and conducted a check on a Singapore-registered car at Woodlands Checkpoint. Opening the boot, the officer conducted a thorough search and requested the 32 year-old male Singaporean driver to open the tool compartment located on the right side of the boot. There were two black tool bags in the compartment and our eagle-eyed officers discovered that one of the tool bags contained six packages wrapped in aluminium foil.
3 The driver informed our officers that the packages were cannabis and he was immediately arrested and the case was referred to CNB. The car was put through a thorough search but nothing incriminating was found. The drugs weighed 420g and had an estimated street value of S$4,200. He will be investigated for the offence of importing a controlled drug for the purpose of trafficking. If convicted, he will face a minimum sentence of five years imprisonment and five strokes of the cane.
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, drug traffickers can also expect to face a heightened gauntlet of security checks and measures at our entry and exit points
END OF NEWS RELEASE
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
9 Jun 2004