S'pore must be wary of synthetic drugs amid worst overdose epidemic in history: Veteran journalist
S'pore must be wary of synthetic drugs amid worst overdose epidemic in history: Veteran journalist
SINGAPORE - Synthetic drugs like fentanyl have become so potent that illegal drug producers are intentionally weakening the dosage to prevent the drugs from killing their customers, said a veteran British journalist.
Englishman Ioan Grillo has reported on the drug scene from Mexico for more than two decades, and is in Singapore to speak at the Asia-Pacific Forum Against Drugs, held at Furama RiverFront Hotel, on May 15.
Used as a painkiller, fentanyl – a Class A controlled drug in Singapore – is estimated to be up to 100 times more potent than morphine.
It killed 76,000 people in the US in 2023, and 48,422 in 2024.
In his opening address at the forum, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said the threat of synthetic drugs is coming closer to home – after reports emerged in March that Malaysia had found traces of fentanyl in its sewage systems.
Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam addressing attendees at the Asia-Pacific Forum Against Drugs at Furama RiverFront Hotel on May 15.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
Tapping his experiences with drug cartels in Mexico, Mr Grillo said fentanyl has killed so many people that it is actually bad business for the drug sellers.
He said: 'Because you're killing off your customers. So they're trying to find ways to mix it up with other drugs or tranquillisers.'
Mr Grillo said that 20 years ago, he would be able to have a conversation with a drug user or addict.
But the effects of synthetic drugs are more pronounced, such that he can barely make sense of his conversations with drug users today.
He said: 'The addicts today are completely zombified, and an incredible number of people are dying from these drugs. This may be the worst overdose epidemic in history.'
He added that modern synthetic drugs could be manufactured so purely that the doses are exponentially higher than that of drugs in the past.
Speaking to The Straits Times on May 14, Mr Grillo said the revolution towards synthetic drugs has surfaced in Asia, and will pose a bigger problem than traditional plant-based drugs, like cannabis.
He said: 'If you look at it – the biggest problem in Asia is methamphetamine, and it is a synthetic drug. (Suppliers) have found big markets in the Philippines, in Malaysia, and it's the biggest problem in Singapore.'
Annual statistics from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) show that methamphetamine was the most commonly abused drug in Singapore in 2024.
In its 2024 report, the United Nations-backed International Narcotics Control Board said a rapid expansion of synthetic drugs is becoming a global public health threat.
These drugs, which are cheaper to make, mean greater profits for producers and traffickers.
In 2021, CNB uncovered the first known attempt to traffic fentanyl in its pure form into Singapore after seizing 200 vials containing about 20mg of the opioid in a scanned package from Vietnam.
To solve the global drug problem, former White House Office of National Drug Control Policy adviser Kevin Sabet said governments should tackle drug problems on the local level first.
Mr Sabet, a drug policy scholar, will also speak at the Asia-Pacific Forum Against Drugs.
He told ST that in Singapore's case, deterrence in the form of strict drug legislation seems to be working.
US drug policy scholar Kevin Sabet said governments should tackle drug problems on the local level first.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
But he warned that the global consensus against drug abuse has been challenged in recent years by those who lobby for legislative changes and softer attitudes towards narcotics.
Said Mr Sabet: 'One of the things I'm extremely worried about is the movement to legalise drugs. It's coming from a multibillion-dollar movement that is very smart, calculated, and running in non-governmental organisations around the world.'
He pointed out that a key goal for the movement is to break the global consensus against drug abuse and argued that countries cannot lose sight of the need to work together.
He cited Thailand's experience with decriminalising the recreational use of cannabis in 2022, but later reversing its decision after a public backlash.
Mr Sabet said the movement targeted Thailand, arguing that cannabis could be used for medicinal purposes and somehow convincing the authorities to go forward with the move.
He said countries should not be swayed by such rhetoric.
Said Mr Sabet: 'Instead, focus on a comprehensive approach and see prevention and recovery as your North Star.
'And do not succumb to those who tell us that we can simplify our way out of the drug problem by making drugs safer to use, or encouraging even more drug use.'
Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Hyflux trial: Ex-CEO Olivia Lum's lawyer grills lead investigation officer
SINGAPORE: The lead defence counsel for Olivia Lum Ooi Lin, the former chief executive officer of now-defunct homegrown water treatment firm Hyflux, on Monday (Aug 11) grilled the investigation officer in charge of a probe into the company's top officers about the way she handled the investigation. Lum, 64, is on trial for two charges under the Securities and Futures Act for leaving out information about Hyflux's Tuaspring project pertaining to its sales of electricity in two key public statements in 2011. Hyflux successfully bid for the project in 2011, in response to a tender conducted by the Public Utilities Board, now known as PUB. The project had been pitched to the market as Hyflux's second and largest seawater desalination plant in Tuas, with the company raising S$400 million (US$310 million) from the issuance of preference shares. However, the company allegedly did not reveal at the time that it would fund the sale of water at a very low price to national water agency PUB, with a new business of selling electricity from a power plant it would build. Hyflux, Singapore's first publicly listed water treatment and seawater desalination company, later suffered massive losses after a fall in electricity prices and entered liquidation in July 2021. The collapse of the company left investors with significant losses, including about 34,000 investors holding perpetual securities and preference shares who were owed a total of S$900 million. DAVINDER SINGH PLACES IO UNDER CROSSHAIRS On Monday afternoon, Lum's lead lawyer Senior Counsel Davinder Singh questioned the prosecution's first witness about the manner in which she had taken statements from Lum. In response to his questioning, lead investigating officer Wei Maojun, Jacqueline from the Commerical Affairs Department (CAD) shared her background: She studied accountancy at Nanyang Technological University before joining PricewaterhouseCoopers as an audit associate. She then joined the CAD in 2014. "So you have never been in the industry? In the market, in listed companies?" asked Mr Singh. "Yes," said Ms Wei. She added: "I may not have had experience in the corporate world, but in my experience as an investigator ... we do (understand) the (SGX) listing rules. Besides that, we did seek views from regulators, experts and the prosecution before ... (framing) the charges," she said. She had agreed earlier to Mr Singh's suggestion that she had been the one who came up with what was defined as the omitted information in the charges faced by Lum. Initially, she said she approached a securities expert, Mr Kevin Gin, before the investigations into the case commenced. She agreed that she had provided Mr Gin with a document called "terms of reference", where she asked Mr Gin to assume certain facts concerning the allegedly omitted information in forming his expert opinion. Mr Singh questioned Ms Wei on when she provided the terms of reference to Mr Gin, but she said she could not remember. "You see it's interesting that you say that about events that took place just two to three years ago. You can't remember, right?" said Mr Singh. "You were the IO in charge of this investigation. And getting expert opinion was an important part of this investigation." The judge intervened and said it would not be fair to ask Ms Wei on the stand like that to test her memory, asking if she could look at some notes or her diary. Mr Singh then showed evidence to Ms Wei that the terms of reference had been given to Mr Gin in December 2023. "It would therefore appear, Ms Wei, that my client was charged in November 2022 about omitting the information, even before you obtained Mr Gin's expert report in relation to the implications of the omission of the information, correct?" asked the seasoned lawyer. Ms Wei agreed. "Therefore, I suggest to you that what happened was that, having come to the view of what the information was, which should have been included but was omitted, you then set about to get an expert to back you up on that, right?" asked Mr Singh. He also put it to Ms Wei that when Lum was charged, Ms Wei "did not even have Mr Gin's expert view on the implications of the omission of the information". Ms Wei disagreed and said the investigators had engaged Mr Gin and sought his view even before investigations commenced. However, she later agreed with Mr Singh when he said it was she who came up with the list of information that should have been disclosed and not Mr Gin. Mr Singh then repeatedly asked Ms Wei about specific questions she had asked Lum during her statement taking. He pointed out that Lum had stated many times that she simply could not recall because it had been nine or 10 years ago. At one point, Mr Singh parsed an answer by Lum in a police statement, saying that Lum was saying it happened 10 years ago and that she could not recall primarily because of the time gap. Ms Wei replied: "Possibly." "Not possibly, primarily," said Mr Singh. "You had trouble with two years ago." Ms Wei responded that it was not for her to speculate how Lum felt. CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT At another point, Mr Singh pointed Ms Wei to one question she had asked Lum during the statement recording, where Ms Wei asked Lum why Hyflux had not disclosed the "extent of the significant revenue exposure". Lum had said "I cannot remember why we didn't do so". She then added: "I also want to let you know that we have to abide (by) a confidentiality agreement signed with PUB, so there were limitations on the extent of disclosure we can make as well." Mr Singh questioned Ms Wei on whether she was aware about this confidentiality agreement. "Did you yourself check and confirm there was this confidentiality agreement?" asked Mr Singh. "I don't recall whether we did check whether there is a confidentiality agreement," answered Ms Wei. "But it's an important point that she made, right? And yet you didn't check it?" asked Mr Singh. "We asked if PUB would have concerns if they wanted to disclose (certain things), so in a way we did check," said Ms Wei. "But that's not answering my question," countered Mr Singh, repeating his question again. Ms Wei later said the investigators did ask for a few agreements between PUB and Hyflux, and they understood that as part of the agreement, there was "some confidentiality involved", with regard to the proposal and the purchase of water agreement. Mr Singh had earlier told the court that he would take at least the whole afternoon to cross-examine Ms Wei. Once he is done, the lawyers for the other accused former leaders of Hyflux will take their turns cross-examining Ms Wei on Tuesday. The others on trial are Cho Wee Peng, 56, former Hyflux chief financial officer; as well as former independent directors of Hyflux Gay Chee Cheong, 68; Teo Kiang Kok, 69; Murugasu Christopher, 66; and Lee Joo Hai, 69. The trial is set to continue until Wednesday this week, before resuming next Monday. Trial dates have been set as far as January next year. If convicted of consenting to Hyflux's intentional failure to disclose the electricity sale information to the securities exchange, Lum can be jailed for up to seven years, fined up to S$250,000, or both.
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
Court orders granted against immigration consultancy firms, their operator over misleading practices
SINGAPORE: The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) has obtained court orders against two immigration consultancy firms and their operator for engaging in unfair trade practices. VED Immigrations and SAVA Immigrations, as well as a third firm, Paul Immigrations, were found to have misled consumers into believing that there was an urgent need to apply for Singapore permanent residency (PR), and that the firms could guarantee the success of applications made through them. In a media release on Monday (Aug 11), CCCS said that the "mastermind" behind the firms' trade practices was one Mr Cheng Yong Teck. Investigations into the firms began after the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) received several complaints regarding Paul Immigrations' sales tactics. CASE continued to receive complaints against the firm even after it signed an agreement to stop the misleading practices. After CCCS found that Mr Cheng had ceased Paul Immigrations' operations but resumed similar practices through VED Immigrations, the focus of its investigations shifted to the latter firm. Then, investigations found that Mr Cheng was also operating through another business, SAVA Immigrations. All three immigration consultancy firms' websites included forms that allowed potential customers to check their chances of obtaining permanent residency. According to CCCS, instead of receiving results online after filling out the forms, these individuals would receive phone calls inviting them for "free consultations". "During these consultation sessions, sales staff would make unsubstantiated claims about rapidly changing PR rules and intense competition from other applicants, to try to persuade customers to apply as soon as possible," said Singapore's consumer watchdog. "The sales staff would then make baseless guarantees of PR application approval if customers engaged their services. "CCCS found no reasonable basis for the businesses to make such claims or guarantees, except to close the deals." Customers paid up to S$10,000 (US$7,790) for such services. Investigations revealed that Mr Cheng was responsible for directing the operations of these businesses and was deliberate in implementing the misleading trade practices. When Paul Immigrations was investigated, Mr Cheng continued to operate through the other businesses to evade detection. CCCS said: "Cheng personally wrote scripts on what staff members needed to do and say to prospective customers, monitored their sales tactics through closed-circuit television footage and implemented a punishment-and-reward system to ensure that his staff members followed his methods." A district court on Jul 22 ordered Mr Cheng, VED Immigrations and SAVA Immigrations to cease the unfair trade practices; publish details of the court orders on online platforms used for marketing their services and in major newspapers in Singapore; inform all potential customers about the court orders before entering into contracts with them; and notify CCCS about any changes to their business structures, as well as to Mr Cheng's employment status and his control or ownership of his businesses. CCCS said that this is its first court action against a person who used new business entities to conceal unfair trade practices. Its chief executive Alvin Koh said that consumers' insecurities and unfamiliarity with Singapore's immigration system were exploited by the three firms, misleading them into paying substantial sums of money. "The mastermind attempted to evade detection by closing the initial business while continuing the same practices through other businesses,' said Mr Koh.
Independent Singapore
5 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Police arrest man who tried to hack into RedeemSG to access vouchers
Screengrab/RedeemSG SINGAPORE: In a statement on Sunday (Aug 10), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said that a 39-year-old man had been arrested for his suspected involvement in a hacking attempt on the Government's digital voucher system, RedeemSG. The team from RedeemSG filed a report with the police on Jul 28, 2025, regarding multiple suspicious attempts to access voucher links on its portal. Fortunately, these attempts had been unsuccessful, with no vouchers compromised. Upon conducting follow-up investigations, police officers from the Cybercrime Command under the Criminal Investigation Department were able to establish the identity of the man suspected of trying to hack into ReddeemSG on the same day the police report was filed. He was arrested on the following day. The laptop he used in his hacking attempt was seized by the police for further investigations. The man is now under investigation for the offence of Attempted Unauthorised Access to Computer Material under Section 3(1) read with Section 12 of the Computer Misuse Act 1993. If he is found guilty, he could be facing a jail term of as long as two years, be made to pay a fine as high as S$5,000, or both. The SPF added that investigations into the man's doings are still ongoing. 'The Police take a serious view of any unauthorised access to Government systems. Anyone found to be involved in such activities will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law,' the Public Affairs Department of the SPF added. In related news, a man claimed last month that a sizable portion of his SG60 vouchers had been spent by someone else. He filed a police report, and the matter was investigated. According to a Jul 13 report in Shin Min Daily News, someone else had used more than S$400 of the SG60 vouchers belonging to the household of a certain Mr Li, which had received a total of S$800 in vouchers. What is RedeemSG? RedeemSG's voucher system was developed by Open Government Products, GovTech. It serves to digitize vouchers for recipients, while at the same time making it easier for merchants to accept vouchers issued by the Government. The system also works for Government agencies and charities, facilitating the launch and management of voucher campaigns. Screengrab/ RedeemSG RedeemSG is used by several Government agencies, including the National Environment Agency (NEA), the Public Utilities Board—Singapore's National Water Agency, and the People's Association (PA) for the CDC Voucher scheme. More information about RedeemSG may be found here . /TISG Read also: Police investigate after someone else spends S$400+ of family's SG60 vouchers () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
