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The Sun
22-07-2025
- The Sun
Finding real fix for Malaysia's vape crisis
SINGAPORE, despite having some of the world's toughest drug laws and a ban on vaping since 2018, is now facing a surge in drug-laced e-vaporisers. A recent report should give us all pause: vapes containing synthetic drugs like ketamine, MDMA, etomidate and even heroin are flooding into the country. Just this week, an officer from Singapore's Health Sciences Authority (HSA) had to dive into a moving car to stop a suspected K-Pod dealer – a dramatic sign of how brazen and dangerous the trade has become. In just over a year, the HSA has seized more than S$41 million (RM135 million) worth of vapes and components. In 2019, that number was less than S$100,000. The problem has mutated: vapes are no longer just nicotine devices – they are becoming drug delivery systems. Singapore MP Yip Hon Weng was quoted in the article saying: 'As the landscape evolves, so must our legal tools.' He even proposed giving the Central Narcotics Bureau clearer authority to act the moment drug traces are detected. These are serious policy recommendations, especially coming from a country already known for its strong laws and swift enforcement. If Singapore is struggling, what about us? So far, Malaysia's response has been to encourage bans at the state level. Johor and Kelantan moved early, with Terengganu and Perlis set to follow this August. Kedah plans a ban by 2026 while states like Selangor and Penang are still weighing similar steps. But let us be honest – people can still cross state lines or order online. And just like Singapore, once trade goes underground, it becomes much harder to track what is inside these devices. In Singapore's case, a school study found that one in six confiscated vapes contained Spice, a type of synthetic cannabis. Prof Christopher Pudney from the University of Bath even found traces of heroin and Ecstasy in vape cartridges, and used a portable device to detect drugs in just 30 seconds. That is how far things have gone – from nicotine to narcotics in sleek little packages. Malaysia already has the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act to regulate vaping but are we using it to its full potential? Or are we creating a patchwork of inconsistent policies that fail to deal with the real issue? No one is claiming vaping is harmless but it is naive to think that bans alone will solve it. Singapore's experience shows that even the toughest laws fall short when enforcement cannot keep up with evolving threats. Instead of relying solely on bans, Malaysia should step up with smarter regulations, nationwide enforcement, drug testing of vape products and real education targeted at youths. Otherwise, we may wake up to the same nightmare or worse.
AsiaOne
11-07-2025
- AsiaOne
'He was jealous': Woman allegedly slashed with knife for chatting with 2 men below Jurong West block, Singapore News
A woman suffered facial wounds after a man allegedly attacked her with a knife at the void deck of a Jurong West block. The incident occurred at Block 965 Jurong West Street 93 at about 6.40pm on Thursday (July 10), reported Shin Min Daily News. A reporter from the Chinese evening daily at the scene saw police officers identifying evidence, which included a fruit knife. It was reported that the woman's face was covered in blood and sported two forehead wounds, with one cut about four centimetres long. A male victim also suffered minor head injuries. Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the police confirmed they had received a call for assistance, and that a 64-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman sustained minor injuries but refused to be taken to hospital. A 66-year-old man sustained minor injuries and was conscious when taken to the hospital. He was subsequently arrested for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon and suspected drug-related offences. Police seized two knives as case exhibits, and the suspected drug-related offences have been referred to the Central Narcotics Bureau. Investigations are ongoing. Attacker was jealous: Female victim In an interview with Shin Min, the 43-year-old woman said she was talking to two men at the void deck when they were allegedly attacked. "He was jealous of me chatting with other men, so he took a knife and hurt me and one of the men I was talking to," she claimed. The other man in the trio, who escaped unhurt, said the elderly alleged attacker became angry after seeing them together and had tried to pull the woman away. "The uncle went home, hid the knife under his shirt, and returned to attack the (first) man chatting with us before slashing (the woman)," alleged the 62-year-old, who is wheelchair-bound. He added that it was fortunate the two victims suffered only superficial injuries and were not stabbed. The police apprehended the attacker at his home, according to the report. Residents told Shin Min they had seen the woman and the alleged attacker entering and leaving the same residential unit but were uncertain of their relationship. The uninjured man said he thought the two were a couple. But the woman denied they were in a relationship, saying that they were "neighbours". [[nid:709871]]
Straits Times
11-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
More than 14,300 people checked during 7-week-long anti-crime ops
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox More than 1,230 operations took place over seven weeks, uncovering offences like the possession of vapes, illegal gambling, and vice. SINGAPORE - During one of the largest enforcement operations in recent times targeting criminal activities, the authorities conducted checks on more than 14,300 people between May 20 and July 7. More than 1,230 operations, which involved more than 4,000 officers from various agencies, took place over seven weeks, uncovering offences like the possession of vapes, illegal gambling, and vice. It also saw the seizure of illegally-modified personal mobility devices, and targeted car-sharing vehicles for traffic violations. Island-wide raids involved officers from the police, the Central Narcotics Bureau, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, the Singapore Civil Defence Force, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), Singapore Customs, and the Land Transport Authority (LTA). Out of the 14,300 people checked, 2,445 were hauled up for investigations. Of these, 932 were arrested. During one of the joint operations in Geylang from June 6 to July 7, more than 60 e-vaporisers and related components were seized. The items, which are prohibited under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, were worth about $4,000. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore S'pore boosts nuclear viability, safety research with new institute and $66m in additional funding Singapore Over 12,000 lower-income households to receive $60 in transport vouchers by end-July Singapore NDP 2025: Leopard tank transmission fault identified, vehicle to resume role in mobile column Life Anti-smoking advisory in new plaque for controversial samsui woman mural World Trump nominates 'alpha male' influencer to be ambassador to Malaysia Business CEO pay: At Singapore's top companies, whose pay went up and whose saw a drop? Business Popiah king Sam Goi makes $123.5 million offer to buy rest of PSC In the same operation, officers confiscated about 15,700 unregistered health products with an estimated value of $30,350. These included cough syrup, e-vaporiser pods and sexual enhancement products. The HSA is investigating five men, aged between 21 and 62, for offences under the Health Products Act. In another operation targeting public entertainment outlets, massage establishments and gambling hotspots, another five men and six women aged between 20 and 40 were found with vapes. On June 27, the police raided three hair salons in Geylang , where women were caught offering unlicensed massage services. The Straits Times visited one of these salons in 2024, and reported that they were offering massage services to customers. On June 30, the media was invited to witness a raid on two massage parlours in Yishun, which were suspected to be providing sexual services. The first outlet was a single-storey unit with four armchairs and five massage beds, separated by partitions. When the media arrived at about 9pm, three men were receiving massages. None were engaged in any sexual activity. The second massage parlour was a two-storey unit which had 10 private rooms. Each room had a notice on the wall warning against sexual activities on the premises. Three women aged between 23 and 45 were arrested for offences under the Women's Charter that night. To clamp down on illegal horse betting activities, raids were conducted at several locations including King George's Avenue, Jurong East, Ang Mo Kio, New Upper Changi Road and Marsiling. More than $29,000 in cash, mobile phones and horse betting paraphernalia were confiscated. A woman and 60 men are being investigated for allegedly acting as illegal bookmakers, runners and punters. To clamp down on illegal horse betting activities, raids were conducted at several locations including King George's Avenue, Jurong East, Ang Mo Kio, New Upper Changi Road and Marsiling. PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE In another joint operation by the police and LTA on June 16, seven active mobility devices were seized in Punggol for failing to meet safety requirements. Six men were issued summons. Another four devices were confiscated and impounded during a similar operation in Geylang. The Traffic Police also inspected 66 car-sharing vehicles island-wide, and arrested two men, aged 20 and 21, for driving without a qualified licence, and driving without insurance under the Road Traffic Act. Senior Assistant Commissioner Gregory Tan, director of the police's operations department, commended the officers for their efforts during the enforcement operations. He said: 'This seven-week long operation exemplifies the police's commitment to public security. Through effective collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we have taken decisive action against those who disregard the law.'
Online Citizen
10-07-2025
- Online Citizen
Singaporean fugitive charged with abetting drug trafficking after Bangkok arrest
A Singaporean man wanted by local authorities has been charged with abetting drug trafficking, following his arrest in Thailand. Tan Leng Chong, 50, appeared in a Singapore district court on 10 July 2025. He had been handed over to Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) by Thai authorities the day before. Tan was apprehended on 5 July 2025 during a raid by Thailand's Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) at a hotel in Bangkok. The operation came after an extensive investigation and cross-border cooperation. According to the charge sheet, Tan is accused of conspiring with N M Mahendran to traffic cannabis mixture outside Singapore sometime before July 2024. Cannabis is classified as a Class A Controlled Drug under Singapore's Misuse of Drugs Act. Mahendran allegedly possessed five blocks of vegetable matter containing no less than 4,990.6g of cannabis mixture for trafficking. The incident reportedly took place around 29 July 2024 at Equatorial Apartments, located at 48 Meyer Road. Tan, wearing a white polo tee, appeared in court via video-link for a brief hearing. He did not speak much during the proceedings. The prosecution requested that he remain in remand, with permission for officers to take him out for further investigations. 'Custody is required to trace the source of drugs in the capital charge,' the prosecutor told the court. Tan acknowledged the proceedings and confirmed that he understood the charges. He is scheduled to return to court on 17 July 2025. If found guilty of abetting drug trafficking, Tan could face the death penalty under Singapore law. In a statement issued on Wednesday, CNB said it discovered Tan's suspected role while probing a related drug trafficking case in July 2024. That investigation involved another Singaporean, aged 64, who was charged with trafficking about 4.99kg of cannabis mixture. During its probe, CNB found that Tan had left Singapore in July 2023. Authorities subsequently reached out to international counterparts, leading to an arrest warrant and his eventual apprehension in Thailand. CNB revealed it has also begun investigating Tan for alleged money laundering offences. Accounts believed to be linked to Tan have been frozen, holding more than S$242,000. Thailand's ONCB stated via Facebook on Tuesday that Tan was arrested for allegedly trafficking drugs from Thailand into Singapore. According to Phanurat Lakboon, Secretary-General of the ONCB, Tan was found hiding in Pattaya, Chonburi province, as reported by Bangkok Post. Thai government news outlet NBT Connext reported that Tan had used Thailand both as a hiding place and an operational base for drug trafficking. ONCB said Tan was seen in Bangkok meeting two Indonesian nationals at a hotel. These individuals were believed to be involved in the drug smuggling operations. Thai police raided the hotel room and arrested all three men. Authorities seized illegal substances including ecstasy, ketamine, and Erimin-5, a prescription-only depressant derivative from the benzodiazepine group. Tan remains in remand as investigations continue. He will appear in court again on 17 July 2025.
Straits Times
10-07-2025
- Straits Times
Singaporean fugitive charged over alleged drug trafficking, faces death penalty if convicted
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Those found guilty of trafficking more than 500g of cannabis, or more than 1kg of cannabis mixture, may face the death penalty. SINGAPORE – A Singaporean on the run – who was arrested in Thailand and then handed over to the Republic's authorities – has been charged with trafficking almost 5kg of cannabis . Tan Leng Chong, 50, is accused of conspiring with another man to traffic blocks of vegetable matter which was later found to contain at least 4,990.6g of cannabis mixture. Those found guilty of trafficking more than 500g of cannabis , or more than 1kg of cannabis mixture, may face the death penalty. Tan's alleged offence was uncovered during the course of the Central Narcotics Bureau's (CNB) investigation into a drug trafficking case in July 2024. The accused person in that case, a Singaporean who was 64 at the time of arrest, is facing a drug trafficking charge involving about 4,990g of cannabis mixture. More than $1,000 was seized from the older man during investigations into money laundering offences. CNB said on July 9 that Tan had been out of Singapore since July 27, 2023. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business S'pore to launch new grant for companies, expand support for workers amid US tariff uncertainties Singapore HDB flats less attainable in 2024 compared with 2022: Report Singapore PAP appoints new heads of backbench parliamentary committees Sport No pain, no gain for Singapore's water polo teams at the world championships World 'Do some homework': 6 key exchanges between US Senator Duckworth and S'pore envoy nominee Sinha Singapore New regional centre for sustainable aviation in Asia-Pacific launched in Singapore Multimedia 60 objects to mark SG60: Which is your favourite? Business Fresh grads should 'stay calm' in job search; uptick in hiring seen: Tan See Leng An arrest warrant was issued against him for his suspected involvement in supplying drugs to associates in Singapore. These associates would subsequently traffic and sell the drugs here. Tan was arrested by Thailand's Office of the Narcotics Control Board on July 5 and handed over to CNB on July 9. Tan is also being investigated for potential money laundering offences. Bank accounts linked to Tan, containing more than $242,000, have been frozen. CNB said money found to be drug trafficking proceeds will be forfeited to the state.
