SINGAPORE – A 16-year-old girl is among 112 suspected drug offenders who were caught in an island-wide anti-drug raid, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said in a statement on Oct 28.

The raids, which took place between October 14 and 25 in areas such as Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Clementi, Eunos, Jurong and Tampines, seized a variety of drugs with an estimated street value of about $296,000.

On October 14, CNB officers raided a residential unit near Bedok South Avenue 3 and arrested two Singaporeans – a 42-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man – at the unit.

In total, approximately 1.7kg of ice, 69g of heroin and 17g of cannabis were recovered from the unit.

Two days later, officers searched two other residential units on the same block, in the vicinity of Eunos Crescent.

In the first raid, officers arrested a married couple from Singapore – a 37-year-old woman and a 55-year-old man.

Approximately 32g of ice, seven grams of heroin, six Erimin-5 tablets and several Ecstasy tablets were recovered from this raid.

The couple’s children, aged 10 and 12, were also in the unit at the time of the raid. Since then, the children have been placed in the care of their close relatives.

In the second raid, officers forced their way into the unit after the occupants – a 25-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman – refused to allow officers into the unit.

Both Singaporeans were arrested and a small amount of heroin was recovered from inside the facility.

Official figures published by the CNB on February 14 showed that the number of drug users arrested in 2023 increased by 10% to 3,101, compared to 2,826 arrested in 2022.

Of those arrested in 2023, 944 were new drug users, an 18% increase from 802 in 2022.

More than half of the newly arrested perpetrators were under 30 years old. Among them were five 14-year-olds, who were the youngest perpetrators to be arrested.

The number of female drug users also increased with 454 arrested in 2023 compared to 408 in 2022.

Of the new perpetrators in 2023, 182 were women, compared to 171 in 2022.

Investigations on all the arrested suspects are ongoing.