Six bottles of brown liquid, believed to be Kratom and remnants of a similar liquid, were discovered in a Malaysia-registered lorry conveying metal beams at Jurong Port on Tuesday (10 December).
According to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Kratom, an herbal extract that comes from the leaves of an evergreen tree (Mitragyna speciosa) grown in Southeast Asiac, contains ‘Mitragynine’ and ‘7-Hydroxymitragynine’, which are Class A controlled drugs listed under the Misuse of Drug Act.
The importation of any Class A controlled drugs into Singapore is an offence that, upon conviction, carries a punishment of between a minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment and 5 strokes of the cane, and a maximum of 30 years imprisonment and 15 strokes of the cane.
The case has been referred to Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) for further investigation, it noted.