Misuse of Drugs Act (Singapore)

The Misuse of Drugs Act is a national drug control law classifying substances into three categories, Classes A, B, and C. Section 44 provides that "The Minister may, by an order published in the Gazette" add, remove, or transfer drugs among the classes. The statute's penal provisions are draconian by most nations' standards, providing for long terms of imprisonment, caning, and capital punishment. The law creates a presumption of trafficking for certain threshold amounts, e.g. 30 grams of cannabis. It also creates a presumption that a person possesses drugs if he possesses the keys to a premises containing the drugs, and that "Any person found in or escaping from any place or premises which is proved or presumed to be used for the purpose of smoking or administering a controlled drug shall, until the contrary is proved, be presumed to have been smoking or administering a controlled drug in that place or premises." Thus, it is dangerous to even be in the company of drug users. The law also allows officers to search premises and individuals, without a search warrant, if he "reasonably suspects that there is to be found a controlled drug or article liable to seizure". Moreover, Section 31 allows officers to demand urinalysis of suspected drug offenders.

Amount of controlled drugs that would qualify as drug trafficking

File:Singapore Embarkation Card.png

The Singapore embarkation card contains a warning to visitors about the death penalty for drug trafficking. Warning signs can be found at the Johor-Singapore Causeway and other border entries. Singapore Airlines also announces similar warnings to air passengers during flights to the country.

Section 17 of the Misuse of Drugs Act lists the amount of controlled drugs beyond which, the person who carries them shall be presumed to possess them for the purpose of drug trafficking unless proven otherwise:

• Opium: 100 grammes
• Morphine: 3 grammes
• Diamorphine (Heroin): 2 grammes
• Cannabis: 15 grammes
• Cannabis mixture: 30 grammes
• Cannabis resin: 10 grammes
• Cocaine: 3 grammes
• Methamphetamine: 25 grammes
• 10 grammes of any or any combination of the following:
  • N, α-dimethyl-3,4-(methylenedioxy)phenethylamine
  • α-methyl-3,4-(methylenedioxy)phenethylamine
  • N-ethyl-α-methyl-3,4-(methylenedioxy)phenethylamine

It should be noted that, unless authorized by the government, the possession, consumption, manufacturing, import, export, or trafficking of these and other controlled drugs in any amount are illegal.

See also

• Criminal law of Singapore
• Law of Singapore
• Nguyen Tuong Van

References

• Template:Singapore Statute
• Misuse of Drugs Act, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.