More than 28 kilograms of cocaine was found on a foreign-registered commercial vessel transiting through Singapore's waters, hidden inside sea chest strainers, authorities said [1, 2].
On August 21, Police Coast Guard officers boarded and searched the vessel following a tip-off about suspicious packages [1, 2]. The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) subsequently took over the investigation and confirmed that the seized packages contained over 28kg of cocaine [1, 2].
Preliminary investigations indicate the drugs were not intended for distribution within Singapore, officials added [1, 2]. Under Singapore’s Misuse of Drugs Act, importing or exporting more than 30 grams of cocaine carries a mandatory death penalty [1, 2].
Police issued a news release on August 25 confirming the seizure and details of their ongoing investigations [1, 2]. This operation highlights law enforcement’s vigilance over narcotics trafficking through Singapore’s maritime routes.
Separately, reports from the U.S. Coast Guard detail a large cocaine seizure off Puerto Rico on August 22, but this is unrelated to the Singapore case [1, 2, 3]. The Singapore authorities continue to investigate the ship and its crew.
