VETERAN NARCOTICS AGENT CHARGED IN SINGAPORE DRUG BUST

A Singapore narcotics officer was charged in court
Wednesday after being implicated in drug trafficking, an
offence punishable with death, officials said.

Sergeant Zainal Abidin Komin, a veteran with 17 years in
service, appeared in court and was charged two days after
being arrested, a spokesman for the Central Narcotics
Bureau (CNB) said. Zainal was held after the seizure of
four kilos (8.8 pounds) of cannabis from three suspected
drug pushers, who alleged that the drug belonged to the
officer, press reports said.

One of the three suspects reportedly said he had
delivered cannabis to Singapore buyers on previous
occasions on the instructions of the sergeant, who
allegedly paid him for the job.

The death penalty is mandatory for anyone convicted of
trafficking in more than halfakilo (1.1 pounds) of
cannabis or more than one kilo (2.2 pounds) of cannabis
mixture in this citystate, which has tough antidrug laws.

"Investigations into this case were immediately
conducted by CNB as soon as the narcotics agent was
implicated in drug trafficking," a CNB statement said.

"CNB is waging a war against all drug traffickers,
pushers and abusers," the bureau's director, Sim Poh Heng,
said.

"It is committed to stamp out drug abuses and keep the
streets free from all drugs. It does not tolerate anyone
involved in illicit drug activities, more so its own
officers." He warned of "stern action" against any CNB
officers involved in drug activities.

"CNB will not condone and will never cover up for any
renegade officer who is involved in drug activity, no
matter how long he has served and how much he has
contributed in service to CNB," Sim added.

akp/lk

AFP