Stricter Measures to Prevent Smuggling of Opium through or into Singapore
Ministry of Home AffairsSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the measures taken by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and ASEAN agencies to prevent opium smuggling from Myanmar into or through Singapore. MP Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim inquired about stricter enforcement steps, and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam highlighted ongoing international cooperation, including joint operations and participation in ASEAN Airport and Seaport Interdiction Task Forces. Minister K Shanmugam noted that while no opium transhipment or seizures have occurred locally in over five years, intense enforcement remains necessary because opium is used to produce heroin, Singapore’s second most commonly abused drug. CNB continues to maintain high enforcement intensity against all drugs and monitors regional production trends closely with its partners to interdict illicit trafficking.
Transcript
11 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Home Affairs in light of a recent United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report on the expansion of opium cultivation and production in Myanmar, what steps will CNB in concert with other relevant enforcement agencies in ASEAN take to deploy stricter measures to prevent the smuggling of opium, in particular through or into Singapore.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) works closely with its international partners, through regular intelligence sharing and joint operations, to prevent illicit drugs from entering or transiting through Singapore. In 2022, CNB conducted 16 joint operations with its international partners to deal with drug syndicates operating in the region.
Specifically on cooperation within ASEAN, CNB is a member of the ASEAN Airport Interdiction Task Force (AAITF) and ASEAN Seaport Interdiction Task Force (ASITF). The Task Forces provide a platform for ASEAN enforcement agencies to collaborate and interdict drug trafficking in the ASEAN region.
There has not been any case of opium transhipment detected in Singapore for more than 10 years. There were also no seizures of opium in Singapore in the last five years.
While opium abuse has not been prevalent in Singapore since the mid-1990s, opium is also used to produce heroin, which is currently the second most commonly abused drug in Singapore. CNB continues to maintain the intensity of its enforcement efforts against all drugs, including heroin, given the harms of drug abuse.
CNB will monitor the situation closely with its ASEAN partners.