Ghanaian may face death penalty in Singapore for drug trafficking

A Ghanaian national has been arrested by Singapore authorities for allegedly trying to traffic crystal methamphetamine also known as “Ice” at the country’s Changi Airport.

The four kilogrammes of “Ice” worth $800,000 was intercepted by Singapore’s Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) during a joint operation on April 5, 2013.

According to officials, the Ghanaian man (name withheld) was acting suspiciously at the Changi Airport and CNB officers pulled him aside for further checks after he had collected his luggage.

“Together with ICA, the officers conducted an X-ray screening and it showed abnormalities in the 35-year-old’s backpack and luggage,” the CNB said in a statement April 6, 2013.

It adds “A physical search was conducted on the backpack by the officers and two bundles of crystalline substances ‘Ice’ were recovered from the backpack.”

More “Ice” were recovered after officials conducted further search on the Ghanaian’s luggage.

The CNB and ICA said the Ghanaian “may face the death penalty if convicted”.

By Ekow Quandzie

Watch a news report on the drug seizure