Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links below. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
Five women from Hong Kong and Kenya are facing capital charges in Singapore after authorities allegedly found nearly 26.9 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside more than 1,300 pellets in their luggage and hidden in stuffed toys during a coordinated anti-narcotics operation at Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) Terminal 4.
The women were arrested on July 29th in the airport’s transit zone. A joint operation between Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and the Hong Kong Police Force Narcotics Bureau (HKNB) led to their arrest. According to Singaporean court documents, the suspects are:
- Chung Ka Yiu, 21, Hong Kong
- Faith Awino Ouma, 27, Kenya
- Genetrix Atsieno Juma, 27, Kenya
- Joyce Njeri Mburu, 30, Kenya
- Margaret Kawira Mungai, 32, Kenya
Each woman was formally charged with drug trafficking. Case files reveal that between 275 and 380 drug pellets were allegedly found in each of their belongings. The amount of cocaine per woman ranged from 5.9 to 7.9 kilograms and totaled 26.9 kilograms. Additionally, 10 grams of cannabis were recovered during the operation.
CNB revealed that two of the women were exchanging suitcases that contained the cocaine-stuffed plush toys. The remaining three women were apprehended separately within the airport. Details of those arrests have not been publicly disclosed.
Singapore’s Misuse of Drugs Act mandates the death penalty for trafficking more than 30 grams of cocaine. Authorities have made clear they intend to pursue the most severe penalty possible in this case. Court documents state that Chung Ka Yiu and Margaret Mungai are accused of working together with Mungai allegedly passing 289 cocaine pellets to Chung. Their cases, along with those of Ouma and Mburu, have been adjourned to August 7th. Juma’s next court date is August 28th.
Sng Chern Hong, Senior Assistant Commissioner and CNB Covering Director, told Channel News Asia:
We stand ready to work with our close counterparts to disrupt drug syndicates and their operations. Those who attempt to traffic drugs through Singapore will be stopped and dealt with in accordance with the law. Singapore is not a transit point for drug smugglers and we will not allow our travel hubs to be misused for criminal activity. This operation demonstrates our firm, zero tolerance stance against drugs.”
Anthony’s Take: Singapore makes it very clear in the airports, through immigration forms, and announcements that drug possession has severe penalties including death. This is not the place to mess around with carrying drugs. These women likely cost themselves their lives as Singapore has executed both citizens and foreigners in the past on drug charges.
(Image Credits: CNB.)
(H/T: Live and Let’s Fly.)
User Generated Content Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat encourages constructive discussions, comments, and questions. Responses are not provided by or commissioned by any bank advertisers. These responses have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the responsibility of the bank advertiser to respond to comments.
Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
