2 men subdued after resisting arrest by CNB officers in Telok Blangah void deck
Seven men and one woman, all Singaporeans, were arrested for drug offences in one day.
In the early evening of Sept 10, two men, aged 26 and 28, were arrested in the void deck of a Telok Blangah Rises residential block.
They put up a struggle to resist arrest and had to be subdued by Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers.
The younger man was found with 68 e-vaporiser pods believed to contain etomidate while the other man had five suspected Kpods.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the men were suspected to be making a transaction prior to their arrests. They were then escorted to a residential unit in the same block, where officers arrested another 26-year-old man.
Shortly after, a 23-year-old-man was arrested outside the unit for suspected drug offences.
During the search of the unit, numerous vape-related products including 327 suspected Kpods were recovered.
Four other Singaporeans were arrested elsewhere on the same evening.
Two men, aged 29 and 32, were arrested at Hougang Avenue 9. A search of their unit recovered several vape-related products, and cash amounting to S$20,818, 498 yuan and RM5,800.
A 23-year-old man was arrested in his residential unit at Boon Lay Drive where vape-related products including five suspected Kpods were found.
An 18-year-old woman was later arrested outside the unit and was found with vape-related products including one suspected Kpod.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the woman had planned to collect the vapes from the 23-year-old man.
CNB Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ng Khai Song, Director of Intelligence Division, said: “This is CNB’s first major operation against a syndicate trafficking in etomidate e-vaporisers, after etomidate was classified as a Class C controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act on Sept 1.
"It demonstrates CNB’s commitment in stamping out controlled drugs, including harmful substances such as etomidate.”
First-time etomidate abusers face fines of $700 for those aged 18 and above, or $500 for those below 18. They must also attend rehabilitation for up to six months.
Those caught a second time will have to undergo mandatory supervision for six months, which will include drug testing and rehabilitation.
Kpod abusers aged 16 and above and caught for the third time or more will undergo a 12-month regime – which includes treatment in a drug rehabilitation centre, followed by drug testing and supervision.
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