S'pore nabs two Thai traffickers

S'pore nabs two Thai traffickers

SINGAPORE: Two Thai nationals face the death penalty in Singapore after being arrested over the weekend for trafficking methamphetamine pills, the local drug enforcement agency said on Monday.

The 9,938 methamphetamine pills, also known as "yaba", seized from the suspects has an estimated street value of S$99,380 (US$58,804) and is the largest seizure of the drug this year.

Acting on a tip, officials mounted a raid at a food market on Sunday evening. The drugs were found hidden in three biscuit boxes in a plastic bag held by the male suspect, police said.

The man, a 34-year-old construction worker, and his 51-year- old female compatriot who flew in from Thailand earlier in the day, face death by hanging if convicted of trafficking charges.

Singapore has some of the toughest drug trafficking laws in Asia. It made the death penalty mandatory for drug traffickers in 1975. -- AFP