Women drug runners up

IN JUST four months, a dozen Singapore women have been nabbed for making drug runs after they were persuaded by West Africans who seduced them with love, money and offers of travel.

In the three years between 2005 and 2007, there were only seven such cases.

The sudden surge in numbers was revealed by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on Monday in a statement warning of the phenomenon.

Last December, five Singaporean women were caught abroad. Barely three months into this year, another seven have been arrested, including two who were stopped here before they left Singapore.

The CNB said: 'Singaporeans should not allow themselves to be made use of by foreign drug syndicates and should reject any suspicious offer of free travel or paid holidays.'

The instigators were described as members of West African drug syndicates who were mostly Nigerians aged between 20 and 30. Some claimed to be businessmen who dealt in used car or electronic goods.

Based on investigations, the syndicate members got to know the women at public places or social networking websites.

'Many of these female Singaporean drug couriers were cajoled into carrying out the drug runs, with promises of love and friendship or inducement of free holidays or cash payment,' said the CNB statement.