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Reuters

Drug trafficking into Singapore, which has some of the world’s toughest drugs laws, has risen recently, the law minister said on Wednesday.
“We have seen an increase in the number of people coming in from countries trying to traffic,” said Minister of Law K Shanmugam.
He did not elaborate on what type of illegal drugs were being smuggled in.
Rights group Lawyers for Liberty warned of an “execution binge” after it said a number of prisoners on death row in Singapore had their requests for presidential pardons rejected this month.
Death penalty: as world executes fewer prisoners, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand are killing more
The wealthy city state has a zero-tolerance policy for illegal drugs and imposes long jail terms on convicted users.
It has hanged hundreds of people – including dozens of foreigners – for narcotics offences over past decades, rights groups say.

Malaysian-based Lawyers for Liberty said this month that up to 10 prisoners in Singapore had their clemency petitions rejected in July.
“It indicates that Singapore is preparing for an execution binge, in total disregard of international legal norms and decent world opinion,” the group said.
Malaysian calls fall on deaf ears as Singapore executes drug trafficker
Singapore does not disclose publicly information about clemency petitions and decisions.
The Southeast Asian country, which has warned against a global trend to ease drug laws, reported 13 executions in 2018 – 11 for drug offences.
Amnesty International said it was the first year since 2003 that the number hangings reached double-digits.
Globally, Amnesty recorded the lowest number of executions in the past decade in 2018.
Shanmugam said the higher number of executions last year was also partly due to a hiatus in executions in the year before, while parliament reviewed the death penalty.
He said there remained “very strong support for the government’s current position” on drugs even as some neighbouring countries ease their tough stands.
Malaysia plans to decriminalise small-time drug use and ‘treat addicts as patients, not criminals’
In neighbouring Malaysia, parliament voted last year to remove the death penalty as mandatory punishment for drug trafficking.
In Thailand, there has been debate on broader liberalisation of laws around marijuana after the drug was legalised for medical use and research in 2018.
But Shanmugam said Singapore took a different stance.
“In the places where they have legalised marijuana … crime has gone up … medical costs and hospitalisation costs have gone up significantly, much more than the tax dollars that the state had hoped to receive,” he said.
“Leave aside the economic costs, the social costs in terms of lives and the trauma on families has been very significant.”


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Drugs

Drug trafficking worsens in Singapore, even as number of executions rises

Drug trafficking into Singapore has risen. Photo: Alamy Stock Photo

-- EDITORS NOTE -- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE   MANDATORY CREDIT  "AFP PHOTO / SINGAPORE NARCOTICS BUREAU"    NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTSA handout photo taken on October 13, 2011 by Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and released on October 14 8.5 kg of heroin on display in Singapore. The heroin is estimated to be worth over 1.27-million Singapore dollars (997,000 USD) and is the largest seizure since 2008. AFP PHOTO / Singapore Central Narcotics Bureau (Photo by SCNB / SCNB / AFP)

Singapore’s law minister Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam. Photo: AFP

These guys deal with cannabis in Singapore – and don’t feel paranoid

CannAcubed cofounders Ronnie Weisz, Glenn Davies, Mark Roberts. Photo: Handout

cannabis in Yunnan

Glenn Davies + crops at 10 weeks

Crops at 12 weeks in Yunnan. Photo: Handout

In Malaysia, efforts to fight drug abuse are stymied by police officers who are themselves ‘high on meth’, says top cop

Malaysian police chief Abdul Hamid Bador. Photo: Facebook

Police display 1,187kg of seized methamphetamine worth US$17.8 million in May 2018. Photo: Reuters

Mexican drug cartels are targeting Australia, say police after busting a record A$1.29 billion of meth in joint US-Australia investigation

Drugs, passports, money and other evidence are displayed during a police press conference in Melbourne, Australia, on Friday. Photo: EPA

epa07351856 Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Tess Walsh (L) speaks to the media during a police press conference in Melbourne, Australia, 08 February 2019. According to media reports, 1.7 tonnes of methamphetamine has been seized in the United States bound for Australia. A joint USA/Austrlalia investigation led to the seizure of the drugs, and six people in Australia have been arrested as a result. The methamphetamine, as well as smaller amounts of heroin and cocaine, were hidden inside electronics equipment and had an estimated value of over 911 million US dollar. EPA-EFE/ERIK ANDERSON AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

epa07351859 Drugs, passports and money are displayed among other evidence during a police press conference in Melbourne, Australia, 08 February 2019. According to media reports, 1.7 tonnes of methamphetamine has been seized in the United States bound for Australia. A joint USA/Austrlalia investigation led to the seizure of the drugs, and six people in Australia have been arrested as a result. The methamphetamine, as well as smaller amounts of heroin and cocaine, were hidden inside electronics equipment and had an estimated value of over 911 million US dollar. EPA-EFE/ERIK ANDERSON AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

epa07351858 AFP Assistant Commissioner Organised Crime Bruce Hill (C-R) speaks to the media during a police press conference in Melbourne, Australia, 08 February 2019. According to media reports, 1.7 tonnes of methamphetamine has been seized in the United States bound for Australia. A joint USA/Austrlalia investigation led to the seizure of the drugs, and six people in Australia have been arrested as a result. The methamphetamine, as well as smaller amounts of heroin and cocaine, were hidden inside electronics equipment and had an estimated value of over 911 million US dollar. EPA-EFE/ERIK ANDERSON AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

Philippines ex-top cop Ronald dela Rosa to ‘independently’ probe his own drugs crackdown

Ronald dela Rosa. Photo: Reuters

FILE PHOTO: Philippine National Police chief General Ronald Dela Rosa whispers to President Rodrigo Duterte during the announcement of the disbandment of police operations against illegal drugs at the Malacanang palace in Manila, Philippines January 29, 2017. To match Special Report PHILIPPINES-DRUGS/SQUAD REUTERS/Ezra Acayan/File Photo

epa06388231 US actor Dwayne Johnson attends the ceremony honoring him with a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California, USA, 13 December 2017. Johnson received the 2,624th star on the Walk of Fame in the category of Motion Pictures. EPA-EFE/ANDREW GOMBERT

Singapore surveys public on attitudes toward death penalty as rights groups call for its abolition

Two anti-death penalty activists perform in Singapore in 2005. Photo: AFP

A view of the skyline of Singapore October 16, 2018. REUTERS/Edgar Su

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Asia

Southeast Asia


The city state hanged 13 people, including 11 on drugs charges, last year – the highest number of executions since 2003
Law minister K Shanmugam said a hiatus in executions while the state reviewed its death penalty laws led to a rise in hangings in 2018



Singapore has vowed to maintain a tough line on drugs, even as it sees a rise in the number of traffickers and people on death row for drugs offences.


Singapore