Nearly 400kg cannabis concealed in glove boxes seized at Singapore port

SINGAPORE: ICA officers at Pasir Panjang Scanning Station have seized 1,290 blocks of cannabis weighing approximately 391 kg after detecting anomalies in a scanned container on Sep 24, 2026. This is one of the largest single cannabis seizures at Singapore’s port facilities in recent memory.

The container was identified for enhanced checks through ICA’s targeting efforts. Image analysts detected anomalies in the scanned images, prompting a physical inspection that uncovered the cannabis blocks concealed within boxes containing gloves.

CNB officers were immediately alerted and conducted further checks to confirm the full extent of the find.

Preliminary investigations indicate the drugs were transiting through Singapore and were bound for another country. Investigations are ongoing.

Under Section 7 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1973, importing into or exporting from Singapore more than 500 g of cannabis may carry the mandatory death penalty. The 391 kg seized, which is nearly 800 times that threshold, places any prosecution in the most serious tier of drug trafficking offences under Singapore law.

The seizure illustrates the role of ICA’s targeting and image analysis capabilities in identifying high-risk containers among the millions that pass through Singapore’s port each year. The concealment method, which included embedding drug blocks within legitimate commercial cargo such as gloves, is a tactic used by trafficking syndicates to exploit the volume and variety of goods moving through major transhipment hubs.

ICA said it will continue working closely with CNB to prevent drug smuggling across Singapore’s borders.