SINGAPORE — Singaporeans travelling abroad during the Labour Day long weekend (especially to the Land of Smiles) note that as part of their ongoing efforts to combat drugs, the country has begun the deployment of the Saliva Test Kit at border checkpoints and roadblocks operations. This is to deter the abuse of drugs when Singaporeans or permanent residents travel overseas.
This was announced during the Committee of Supply Debate earlier this year in Feb by Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State for the Ministry of Home Affairs & Ministry of National Development. During his speech titled ‘Tackling Terrorism, Combating Drugs and Enhancing Rehabilitation’, Assoc Prof touched on a question by Holland-Bukit Timah MP Christopher de Souza, who asked about sensitising the public to the threat of drug liberalisation globally.
“As part of the #CNBPerspectives Series launched in 2022, CNB took to Facebook and Instagram to share worrying trends from the World Drug Report 2022. In fact, I also posted things relating to this to support their effort. These include the increase of cannabis-use disorders in jurisdictions which legalise cannabis for non-medical use. We also educate our anti-drug abuse advocates about the increasingly permissive views other countries have towards drugs, and train them to speak up against drugs,” said Assoc Prof Faisal.
The legalisation of cannabis was championed by Thailand’s Bhumjathai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul. The party won 51 seats in the 500-member parliament and was a junior partner in the coalition government under Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. In June 2022, Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration removed ‘marijuana’ and ‘hemp’ from its banned narcotics list, while the Department of Agriculture announced in October last year that it is now legal to import the seeds of both cannabis and hemp plants into the country.
With such developments in Southeast Asia, Singapore is taking a tough approach and robust enforcement to ensure that drugs are kept out from its shores as its citizens return from abroad. Data released by the Thailand Ministry of Tourism and Sports showed that Singapore had the third-highest international travellers to Thailand last year, with 614,627 travelling from Singapore to Thailand. There were 69,106 travellers from Singapore to Thailand in Jan 2023 and 60,792 the following month.
“To deter Singaporeans and PRs from abusing drugs overseas, CNB has stepped up enforcement at the Checkpoints with the deployment of Saliva Test Kits from January this year. These kits, like the one I am holding here, they are light and compact. They offer a more efficient way to detect drug abusers at the Checkpoints,” explained the Minister of State for Home Affairs.
The Saliva Test Kits were also used by the Central Narcotics Bureau in operations at nightspots around Orchard Road and Jalan Sultan on Mar 31 and Apr 1. The enforcement operation involved officers from the Singapore Police Force and the Singapore Civil Defence Force to clamp down on illegal activities, including drug offences, crime and fire safety violations. About 240 persons were checked at the two nightlife establishments during the two-day operation. Two men, aged 43 and 31, were arrested for suspected drug-related offences and being a member of an unlawful society.
“This operation is part of CNB’s ongoing efforts to clamp down on illicit drug activities. Our enforcement actions at nightspots help keep illicit drugs off Singapore’s streets and allow members of the public to enjoy Singapore’s nightlife safely and unharmed by fellow partygoers under the influence of drugs,” said Superintendent Lim Sze Yuk, Commanding Officer of Enforcement ‘G’ Division.
“The introduction of saliva test kits into CNB’s suite of tools helps increase the testing capacity during our anti-drug operations. Our officers can now choose to deploy the saliva test kits on the spot to supplement other factors before deciding to arrest a person. The test kits are portable and easy to use and have helped officers make quicker assessments during operations, thereby allowing us to increase the testing rate.” added Superintendent Lim.