23 EXPATS AND S'POREANS ARRESTED IN COCAINE SWOOP

THE British editor of Singapore Tatler magazine and an award-winning French
chef were among 23 people arrested in a swoop on a suspected cocaine
trafficking ring on Thursday and yesterday.

They included expatriates and Singaporeans, brokers, businessmen, a young
director of a shipping company and executives, including one whom sources
said was always driven around in a Rolls-Royce.

Most were picked up on suspicion of having or consuming drugs, but three
face the death penalty if found guilty of drug trafficking.

They are Singaporean Marx Oh Chee Wee, 31, a director of events management
company Zero Event Concepts; Tunisian Guiga Lyes Ben Laroussi, 35,
marketing manager of Bobby Rubino's restaurant; and his Singaporean
girlfriend, Mariana Abdullah, 24.

Tatler editor Nigel Bruce Simmonds, 35, and chef Francois Fabien
Mermilliod, 29, of the Flutes at the Fort restaurant in Fort Canning, were
among 20 nabbed on Thursday for either possessing or consuming drugs.

Five tested positive for drugs, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said.

Also seized in Thursday's operation were 64g of cocaine and small amounts
of other party drugs.

CNB deputy director S. Vijakumar said Oh and Laroussi had been watched
since mid-August, after the bureau received a tip-off.

Early on Thursday morning, officers staked out Laroussi's apartment at
Moulmein Green condominium along Moulmein Road.

They watched as four men visited Laroussi in the space of seven hours,
beginning at noon.

The men were trailed, and later stopped by officers who found a variety of
drugs on them, Mr Vijakumar said.

The four were charged yesterday with drug possession.

Simmonds is accused of having 0.8g of Ice on him, while Mermilliod is
accused of having a packet containing 0.5g of cocaine in his haversack.

Also charged were Singaporeans Andy Ng Kwang Thiam, a 23-year-old director
of well-known local shipping company Ng Teow Yhee and Sons, and technician
Hamden Mohd, 35.

Laroussi was nabbed on Thursday night, when he left his apartment. Officers
found a cocktail of drugs - 61.2g of cocaine, 5.4g of ketamine, 2.6g of
Ice, 1.3g of cannabis and 32 Ecstasy pills - in his home.

The drugs had a street value of over $20,000.

Mariana was in the apartment and was also arrested.

Another team of CNB officers then arrested Oh at his house at Hyde Park
Gate in Seletar Camp, where they found 2.3g of cocaine and 23.6g of cannabis.

Compiling a list of the alleged syndicate's clients, officers then spent
the rest of the night hauling in more suspected drug users.

More arrests may follow, the CNB said.