Central Narcotics Bureau
Encyclopedia
The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) of Singapore
was established in 1971 as the primary drug enforcement agency entrusted with the responsibilities of coordinating all matters pertaining to drug eradication. In November 1993, the “Committee to Improve the Drug Situation in Singapore
” was set up to look into the drug situation and it recommended a total and integrated approach to deal with the drug problem. The four main strategies are Preventive Drug Education, Rigorous Enforcement, Treatment and Rehabilitation for addicts, and finally, Aftercare and Continued Rehabilitation for ex-addicts to reintegrate them into society. In addition to conducting rigorous enforcement, CNB also took on the responsibility of preventive drug education.
In 1906, Singapore saw its first anti-drug movement as several prominent community leaders felt that something had to be done regarding the sorry state of opium addicts. For the first time, they began to openly criticize the opium trade and rallied Chinese newspapers to their cause, so as to highlight the evil of opium consumption. Despite not being able to influence the British’s administration policy and implement an all-out ban on opium, the movement achieved considerable success in altering people’s perception of opium. It made people realize the dangers of smoking opium which could lead to prolonged suffering.
40 years later, the campaigning efforts of the Chinese community finally paid off as opium was outlawed. On 1st February 1946, the Opium and Chandu Proclamation was implemented and it criminalized the smoking of opium and possession of opium-smoking utensils. The subsequent years saw Dangerous Drugs Ordinance coming into force. The Ordinance, implemented in 1951, provided for stiffer penalties for pushers and ensured that addicts undergo treatment at the Opium Treatment Centre on St John’s Island. Enforcement actions were also stepped up concurrently in order to weed out all opium activities. By the 1970s, there was a drastic fall in the number of addicts smoking opium.
announced that a new and dedicated agency, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), would be set up within the Ministry of Home Affairs to fight the drug menace. The Minister for Home Affairs (1970 – 1972), Professor Wong Lin Ken said, “Such activities will be coordinated in the Central Narcotics Bureau. CNB also plans to build a capacity to educate the public in the dangers of drug abuse”.
In 1973, the Government introduced a new law to deal with drug traffickers, pushers and addicts – the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA). 15. The enactment of the MDA was intended to serve two-purposes, firstly, to consolidate the provisions of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance 1951 (DDO) and Drugs (Prevention of Misuse) Act 1969 (DPMA) ; secondly, to more effectively deal with the worsening drug situation. New legislation was perceived to be necessary as Mr Chua Sian Chin, then Minister for Health and Home Affairs, notes in Parliament in 1973. “The Dangerous Drugs Act (i.e DDO) was enacted about 21 years ago and the controls provided therein are grossly inadequate for the 70’s, with the introduction of a host of new drugs of medical value if properly used.” The need was exacerbated by Singapore’s geographical location and development into a trading hub. The proximity to the Golden Triangle
is another oft-cited justification for tough anti-drug laws.
The first nationwide action against drug traffickers was codenamed Operation Ferret. The operation began on 1st April 1977. In just four days, more than 900 drug offenders were arrested. Traffickers were forced out of business as supply chains were disrupted. At the same time, there was a huge drop in demand for drugs as hundreds of addicts had been arrested. The operation proceeded for several more months. By November 1977, 7 months after the operation swung into action, more than 5100 addicts were under detention in DRCs. The operation was hailed as a historic turning point in the war against drugs.
The 4 operational divisions are:
The 3 staff divisions are:
The 3 staff units are:
Out of the 4 key pillars, CNB has contributed significant amount of resources on the first 2 strategies. The bureau conducts vigorous enforcement and is also the lead agency for preventive drug education (PDE).
In its 2010 press release, CNB indicated that it has doubled the number of joint operations conducted at the checkpoints. These operations were carried out together with other Home Team partners such as the Police and the Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). There is also gr eater focus on intensifying inland operations by extending its duration in order to send a deterrent message to drug offenders. In May 2011, CNB conducted an island-wide anti-drug operation which lasted 48 hours – twice as long as it is normally carried out.
The highlight CNB’s PDE efforts is none other than the annual nationwide anti-drug dance competition, DanceWorks!. The competition aims to promote the anti-drug message and encourage youths to lead a healthy and drug-free lifestyle. In recent years, the event has seen greater participation from schools with more dancers coming forward to showcase their talent. In 2011, the performances were recorded and aired on Channel OKTO for publicity and in doing so attracting more youths to participate in the event. Besides the dance segments, students who were non-dancers could also participate in pre-event competitions such as the “Anti-Drug Stick on Tattoo Design” (2009) and “Best T-shirt Contest” (2011).
CNB stressed that the mistake in the computation did not affect its enforcement efforts.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
was established in 1971 as the primary drug enforcement agency entrusted with the responsibilities of coordinating all matters pertaining to drug eradication. In November 1993, the “Committee to Improve the Drug Situation in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
” was set up to look into the drug situation and it recommended a total and integrated approach to deal with the drug problem. The four main strategies are Preventive Drug Education, Rigorous Enforcement, Treatment and Rehabilitation for addicts, and finally, Aftercare and Continued Rehabilitation for ex-addicts to reintegrate them into society. In addition to conducting rigorous enforcement, CNB also took on the responsibility of preventive drug education.
Early years
Drug addiction in Singapore began with the consumption of opium back in the 19th and early 20th century. By 1848, the drug was abused by approximately 15000 Chinese addicts. This was a worrying statistic as it represented one out of every three adult Chinese settlers on the island. According to Dr Richard Little, a British government surgeon of the Straits Settlement, opium addiction was exacting a heavy price on both the financial and physical resources of an abuser. Dr Little even went as far as to recommend that there be a form of official control over the spread of opium smoking. Back then, opium was such a valuable commodity that it was once said that Singapore’s economy would collapse if the drug were to be outlawed. However, Dr Little’s advice went unheeded and failed to affect the government’s policy. By 1900, Singapore had seen an alarming rise in the number of licensed opium dens from 45 in 1848 to 550.In 1906, Singapore saw its first anti-drug movement as several prominent community leaders felt that something had to be done regarding the sorry state of opium addicts. For the first time, they began to openly criticize the opium trade and rallied Chinese newspapers to their cause, so as to highlight the evil of opium consumption. Despite not being able to influence the British’s administration policy and implement an all-out ban on opium, the movement achieved considerable success in altering people’s perception of opium. It made people realize the dangers of smoking opium which could lead to prolonged suffering.
40 years later, the campaigning efforts of the Chinese community finally paid off as opium was outlawed. On 1st February 1946, the Opium and Chandu Proclamation was implemented and it criminalized the smoking of opium and possession of opium-smoking utensils. The subsequent years saw Dangerous Drugs Ordinance coming into force. The Ordinance, implemented in 1951, provided for stiffer penalties for pushers and ensured that addicts undergo treatment at the Opium Treatment Centre on St John’s Island. Enforcement actions were also stepped up concurrently in order to weed out all opium activities. By the 1970s, there was a drastic fall in the number of addicts smoking opium.
The 1970s
On, 19th October 1971, the Singapore Government under Prime Minister Lee Kuan YewLee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
announced that a new and dedicated agency, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), would be set up within the Ministry of Home Affairs to fight the drug menace. The Minister for Home Affairs (1970 – 1972), Professor Wong Lin Ken said, “Such activities will be coordinated in the Central Narcotics Bureau. CNB also plans to build a capacity to educate the public in the dangers of drug abuse”.
In 1973, the Government introduced a new law to deal with drug traffickers, pushers and addicts – the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA). 15. The enactment of the MDA was intended to serve two-purposes, firstly, to consolidate the provisions of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance 1951 (DDO) and Drugs (Prevention of Misuse) Act 1969 (DPMA) ; secondly, to more effectively deal with the worsening drug situation. New legislation was perceived to be necessary as Mr Chua Sian Chin, then Minister for Health and Home Affairs, notes in Parliament in 1973. “The Dangerous Drugs Act (i.e DDO) was enacted about 21 years ago and the controls provided therein are grossly inadequate for the 70’s, with the introduction of a host of new drugs of medical value if properly used.” The need was exacerbated by Singapore’s geographical location and development into a trading hub. The proximity to the Golden Triangle
Golden Triangle
-North America:Canada* Golden Triangle , named for the town of Golden, British Columbia, which forms one point* Golden Triangle, Ottawa, named for the property triangle in Ottawa between Elgin Street and the Rideau CanalNorthwestern United States...
is another oft-cited justification for tough anti-drug laws.
The first nationwide action against drug traffickers was codenamed Operation Ferret. The operation began on 1st April 1977. In just four days, more than 900 drug offenders were arrested. Traffickers were forced out of business as supply chains were disrupted. At the same time, there was a huge drop in demand for drugs as hundreds of addicts had been arrested. The operation proceeded for several more months. By November 1977, 7 months after the operation swung into action, more than 5100 addicts were under detention in DRCs. The operation was hailed as a historic turning point in the war against drugs.
Vision
CNB's vision is to be a leading and dynamic law enforcement agency in the fight against drugs and to make Singapore drug free.Mission
- To conduct vigorous enforcement against drug offenders.
- To actively co-operate with local and foreign agencies on drug related matters.
- To promote a drug-free lifestyle through preventive education and active engagement of the community.
Organisational Structure
The Director of CNB is the highest ranking official in the bureau. He is assisted by the Deputy Director. The bureau is divided into operational divisions, staff divisions and staff units.The 4 operational divisions are:
- Intelligence
- Enforcement
- Supervision
- Investigation
The 3 staff divisions are:
- Human Resource and Administration
- Communications
- Policy, Planning and Research
The 3 staff units are:
- Audit Unit
- Department Technology Office
- Organisation Development and Training Unit
Anti-Drug Strategy
The fight against drugs in Singapore involves a multi-faceted approach based on the recommendations made by the “Committee to Improve the Drug Situation in Singapore” in November 1993. The committee chaired by the then Parliamentary Secretary of Ministry of Home Affairs, Assoc Professor Ho Peng Kee came up with 4 key strategies ranging from prevention to rehabilitation that would integrate the work of different government agencies for greater efficacy and efficiency.- Enforcement
- Preventive Drug Education
- Treatment and Rehabilitation
- Aftercare and Continued Rehabilitation
Out of the 4 key pillars, CNB has contributed significant amount of resources on the first 2 strategies. The bureau conducts vigorous enforcement and is also the lead agency for preventive drug education (PDE).
Enforcement
CNB conducts regular islandwide operations involving the concurrent mobilisation of resources and manpower across Singapore to conduct checks against drug abusers and ex-drug abusers who may have relapsed. Other than islandwide operations, CNB conducts operations targeted at specific areas where intelligence sources indicate that drug activity is taking place.In its 2010 press release, CNB indicated that it has doubled the number of joint operations conducted at the checkpoints. These operations were carried out together with other Home Team partners such as the Police and the Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). There is also gr eater focus on intensifying inland operations by extending its duration in order to send a deterrent message to drug offenders. In May 2011, CNB conducted an island-wide anti-drug operation which lasted 48 hours – twice as long as it is normally carried out.
Preventive Drug Education
CNB's Preventive Education Unit (PEU) was formed in 1992 to focus solely on the formation and implementation of Preventive Drug Education (PDE) programmes in Singapore. Singapore's PDE approach is based on the theory of social inoculation which proposes that exposure to persuasive messages will reduce susceptibility to subsequent negative persuasions. Given the strong social influence in drug consumption, CNB’s PDE efforts are centered on helping youths to resist temptations to try drugs. The bureau promotes a drug-free lifestyle by engaging schools and the community as strategic partners in the fight against drugs. In addition, CNB is also proactive in the planning and implementation of innovative and effective programmes to spread the anti-drug message.The highlight CNB’s PDE efforts is none other than the annual nationwide anti-drug dance competition, DanceWorks!. The competition aims to promote the anti-drug message and encourage youths to lead a healthy and drug-free lifestyle. In recent years, the event has seen greater participation from schools with more dancers coming forward to showcase their talent. In 2011, the performances were recorded and aired on Channel OKTO for publicity and in doing so attracting more youths to participate in the event. Besides the dance segments, students who were non-dancers could also participate in pre-event competitions such as the “Anti-Drug Stick on Tattoo Design” (2009) and “Best T-shirt Contest” (2011).
Budget
The estimated expenditure for FY2011 is $88,599,700. This amount represents a 2.4% decrease compared to the expenditure in FY2010. In the FY2011 estimate for budget allocation, the bureau’s established force stands at 104 senior narcotics officers (SNOs) and 568 narcotics officers (NOs). In addition, there are civilians in the bureau under the Home Affairs Senior Executive (HASEs) and Management Support Officers (MSOs) schemes. The total number of officers working in the bureau is 768 (based on FY2011 estimates).Careers
The bureau, together with other Home Team Agencies, often hold career fairs in order to reach out to prospective officers who intend to join either the uniformed or civilian career track. In 2010, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a press release indicating its intention to recruit 2000 officers spread across different agencies and departments. In conjunction with this target, a career fair was subsequently held at the Marina Square Central Atrium. There were displays and demonstrations of various operational capabilities and equipment from Prisons, SCDF, CNB, ICA and SPF.Training
Officers who join the bureau will have to undergo residential training at the Home Team Academy together with their counterparts from police. NOs will spend 28 weeks at the academy learning basic investigation skills, self-defence and weapons handling. SNOs will undergo nine months of training to learn penal codes and criminal laws, crime investigation, defence tactics, weapons handling. In addition, SNO training component includes an overseas leadership training programme which is usually held in Nepal. All officers will have to pass shooting and IPPT in order to graduate from the course. In addition, shooting and IPPT remain as prerequisites for promotion throughout the officer’s career with the bureau.Controversy
CNB announced that an error was found in the statistical computation of drug abuser arrest statistics for the period 2008 to 2010 after migrating to a new IT system. The amended and updated data reflects higher numbers of drug abusers for that period.CNB stressed that the mistake in the computation did not affect its enforcement efforts.