SINGAPORE – A team of HazMat (Hazardous Materials) specialists from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) were called in to assist in an anti-drug bust on Wednesday (Dec 6) after authorities stumbled upon an illegal drug manufacturing lab in Yishun.

A joint statement on Friday (Dec 8)  by SCDF, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said the HazMat specialists were called in to assist CNB officers who noticed a pungent smell in the lab they had raided on Yishun Industrial Street 1. 

The HazMat officers, who were fully suited up, entered the lab and their handheld detectors discovered the air within the room was hazardous. They proceeded to conduct a controlled ventilation of the unit. 

Once the air in the unit was ascertained to be safe, officers from the CNB and HSA re-entered the lab to conduct a thorough search of the unit. About 2.6 kg of synthetic cannabis and 500g of unknown powdery substance were seized in the process. 

The CNB had raided the unit after two suspected drug offenders, whom authorities had been observing, entered the location separately.  

The suspects, male Singaporeans who are aged 40 and 45, were apprehended at the scene. 

The suspects are being investigated for the unauthorised manufacturing of controlled drugs. 

If convicted of the unauthorised manufacturing of a Class A controlled drug, they face a minimum of 10 years’ jail and five strokes of the cane.