Boy, 13, among those arrested over alleged drug vice

A 13-year-old boy was one of several foreign teenagers arrested by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on Wednesday for allegedly consuming drugs.

The teen, believed to be an expatriate, was the youngest among 17 people nabbed in an 18-hour operation.

Others who were arrested included a 37-year-old drug trafficker, his associate and 14 of his other clients, reported Channel NewsAsia.

For more than five months, CNB monitored the suspected trafficker, a Singapore permanent resident who peddled cannabis from his Ang Mo Kio residence to youths and expatriates studying in international schools and working here.

He was nabbed near his home in the morning with 2 grammes of cannabis on him.

Eleven of the drug abusers are foreign nationals from countries like the United States, United Kingdom, France, New Zealand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The other four are Singaporeans and permanent residents.

In all, officers seized drugs amounting to some 69 grammes of cannabis. If convicted, the drug trafficker could be hailed up to 20 years and given 15 strokes of the cane.

Preliminary investigations showed that some among the group were friends.

Further investigations will be carried out on the other offenders suspected of consumption, possession or trafficking in a controlled drug.