SINGAPORE — A baby was found during a recent anti-drug operation by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB).
The nine-month-old boy was close to his mother, who had been abusing methamphetamine, also known as Ice.
In a Facebook post on Friday (June 24), CNB said the woman was the child's sole caregiver.
"Living conditions were squalid and drug paraphernalia were found in the open," said the post.
"Such scenes, though rare in Singapore, are a stark reminder that those who deal in drugs destroy lives."
The baby was later brought back to the police station by officers who then provided childcare necessities like milk powder.
He has since been handed over to the Ministry of Social and Family Development as the abuser's parents are unable to take care of him, while the abuser will be committed to the Drug Rehabilitation Centre, said CNB.
A photo of the scene shows a mattress on the floor of the unit, with rubbish, bottles and drug paraphernalia strewn around.
An empty baby rocker sits in a corner.
The number of drug abusers arrested last year fell to 2,724 from the 3,056 arrested in 2020. But CNB said this was likely due to restricted social interactions arising from Covid-19 measures.
About 34 per cent of those arrested were new abusers, of which 76 per cent were caught abusing methamphetamine.
The proportion of new drug abusers remains an area of concern for CNB, which said it will continue working closely with the community to keep Singapore drug-free.
In an islandwide operation in July last year, CNB officers arrested 104 suspected drug offenders and seized drugs estimated to be worth more than $198,000.
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Three very young children were also found during the operations and close to where suspected illegal drug consumption or activities had taken place.
The children were later placed in the custody of their next of kin. One of them was a 10-month-old girl.
A CNB officer at the scene had then prepared milk for the child.
"As a father to two daughters, I instinctively knew that the baby needed to drink milk when I saw her crying," he said.
"It saddens me to see such innocent victims being brought up in such an environment. This is the reason why CNB officers are motivated to give our best in our work."
Distressing scene: Baby found near drugs during op at abuser’s unit In a recent op, officers found a drug abuser and...
Posted by CNB Drug Free SG on Thursday, June 23, 2022
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
