Singaporean Arrested in Thailand for Drug Trafficking, Extradited to Face Death Penalty
A 50-year-old Singaporean man has been extradited from Thailand to Singapore, where he now faces charges that could lead to the death penalty under Singapore’s strict drug laws. The man, Tan Leng Chong, was arrested in Bangkok on 5 July following a tip-off from Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), in cooperation with Thailand’s Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB).
Tan was flown back to Singapore shortly after his arrest and formally handed over to CNB officers at the airport. He was subsequently charged on 10 July via video-link in a district court for abetting drug trafficking, a crime punishable by death under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Tied to Cannabis Trafficking Case in 2024
According to CNB, Tan’s name surfaced during an investigation into a separate drug trafficking case that occurred in July 2024. In that earlier case, N M Mahendran, a 64-year-old man, was arrested and charged with trafficking close to 5kg of a cannabis mixture. Authorities allege that Tan conspired with Mahendran to traffic the drugs into Singapore.
Further investigations into Mahendran also led to the seizure of S$1,000 in cash, which is being examined as part of possible money laundering activities. As for Tan, he had been overseas since 27 July 2023, and was believed to be continuing operations from abroad while evading arrest.
An international arrest warrant was issued, and with the help of the ONCB, Tan was traced from Pattaya to Bangkok, where he was eventually apprehended. He is also suspected to be involved in a wider international drug syndicate.
Over S$240,000 in Assets Frozen
The Singapore Police Force’s Anti-Scam Centre, in collaboration with related banks, has frozen bank accounts linked to Tan. The total amount seized exceeds S$242,000, and these funds are expected to be forfeited to the state. CNB has confirmed that money laundering investigations will also proceed in parallel with the drug trafficking charges.
Tan was remanded after his court appearance, and the prosecution has applied to take him out for further investigation to trace the origins of the narcotics. He is scheduled to return to court on 17 July 2025.
International Cooperation Lauded
Leon Chan, Acting Director of CNB, praised the ONCB for its swift and effective cooperation in the case. “This operation is a strong demonstration of the trust and collaboration between CNB and ONCB. We will continue working with our international partners to dismantle drug trafficking networks regardless of where they are based,” he said.
Singapore remains one of the world’s most stringent jurisdictions when it comes to drug offences. Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, abetting the trafficking of more than 1kg of cannabis carries a mandatory death sentence, reflecting the city-state’s zero-tolerance stance.