Disguised as chocolates and sweets: Drugs from Singapore, other places allegedly sent to 'grandma' dealer in US

SINGAPORE – Illicit drugs from Singapore were allegedly among shipments disguised as make-up, snacks and wedding favours that were sent to a drug dealer in the US.

Joanne Marian Segovia, 64, the executive director of the San Jose Police Officers’ Association, is alleged to have illegally imported thousands of dollars worth of illicit drugs since October 2015 from places that include Hong Kong, Hungary, India and Singapore. 

The case has rocked the local community in the US, with those who knew Segovia telling the media she was like a grandmother to the community and that it was a complete surprise.

Mr Sean Pritchard, president of the San Jose Police Officers’ Association, reportedly said he was angry and felt letdown.

“I’m angry because it’s a huge, huge letdown to all the men and women who are a part of our organisation,” he said.

“It’s just so hard to comprehend. This person has been really the grandma of the (union). It’s not the person that we’ve known for well over a decade.”

Segovia was charged on March 27, and is alleged to have attempted to unlawfully import and distribute the synthetic drug valeryl fentanyl.

The US has been suffering from a fentanyl crisis since 2019, with thousands of deaths reported yearly. In 2022 alone, more than 71,000 Americans died from fentanyl-linked overdoses and drug poisonings, according to the US authorities.

In a statement on March 29, the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California said Segovia used her personal and office computers to order thousands of opioid and other pills to her home and agreed to distribute the drugs elsewhere in the US.

She was arrested as part of an investigation into a network that was shipping controlled substances into the San Francisco Bay Area from abroad. 

Between October 2015 and January 2023, Segovia allegedly had at least 61 shipments declared as wedding party favours, gift make-up, chocolates and sweets mailed to her home.

Five of these shipments were intercepted and opened by the authorities between July 2019 and January 2023, and they found thousands of pills of controlled substances, including the synthetic opioids tramadol and tapentadol.

It is alleged that Segovia used WhatsApp to plan the logistics of her drug deals, distributing the illicit substances out of the police union’s office and even using the union’s courier account to make the drug shipments.

She allegedly exchanged hundreds of messages with a number in India from January 2020 to March 2023, discussing details for shipping and payment for pills.

The messages contained hundreds of pictures of tablets, shipping labels, packaging, payment receipts and payment confirmations. 

On March 13, the authorities seized a parcel in Kentucky that was addressed to Segovia.

They found that the package, which originally came from China and was declared as containing a clock, actually contained valeryl fentanyl.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said it is willing to render assistance to the US authorities.

A CNB spokesman said: “CNB understands that investigations by the US authorities are ongoing, and CNB stands ready, if approached, to render any required assistance in their investigations.”

If convicted, Segovia can be jailed for up to 20 years and fined up to US$250,000 (S$330,000).

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.