If CNB has called, read this before you walk into the station
If the Central Narcotics Bureau has called, sent a notice to attend, or arrested a member of your family, you are dealing with the most serious criminal law in Singapore. The Misuse of Drugs Act is unforgiving by design. For trafficking above certain amounts, the death penalty is mandatory. Even possession of small amounts carries real jail time. Everyone in the house, everyone on the lease, and everyone whose name is on the phone can be drawn into the investigation.
I’m Hasif, Associate Director at A.W. Law LLC. Drug matters are the calls I take most seriously. What you say in the first urine test, the first long statement, and the first statement under caution shapes the rest of the case. Early advice is not a luxury in drug matters. It is the difference between a defensible position and an unfixable one.
The first 10 minutes are free. If CNB has already called, WhatsApp us and we will make time today.
What a drug offence in Singapore actually is
A drug offence is any offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act. This is the main drug law in Singapore. The Act is enforced by the Central Narcotics Bureau (the CNB), and charges are brought by the Attorney-General’s Chambers in the State Courts or the General Division of the High Court.
The main types of offence are these.
- Consumption. Testing positive for a controlled drug, or admitting consumption. Even without any drug on you.
- Possession. Having a controlled drug on you, in your home, your car, or your bag. Possession does not require personal use. Having it for someone else is still possession.
- Trafficking. Selling, delivering, carrying for another person, or otherwise transferring a drug. The Act deems possession of quantities above the First Schedule thresholds to be trafficking unless you prove otherwise. This is called a presumption of trafficking.
- Import and export. Bringing a controlled drug across the Singapore border. Treated as severely as trafficking. Couriers at Changi and Tuas are charged under this heading.
- Manufacture, cultivation, and supply. Running a lab, growing cannabis, or supplying drugs to others.
The drugs are grouped by class, but what actually drives sentencing is quantity. The First Schedule lists drugs. The Second Schedule sets the quantities that trigger mandatory capital punishment on a trafficking charge. For cannabis, trafficking more than 500 grams attracts the death penalty. For heroin (diamorphine), more than 15 grams attracts the death penalty. For methamphetamine, more than 250 grams. These thresholds are low by international standards. A single kilogram is well inside capital territory for most drugs.
Two features of the Act catch people out.
- The presumption of trafficking. If you are found with more than the presumption amount, the court can assume you intended to traffic, and you must prove you did not. Defence lawyers work inside this presumption, not outside it.
- Section 8A: extraterritorial consumption. A Singapore citizen or permanent resident who uses a controlled drug overseas can be prosecuted in Singapore on return. A positive urine test at Changi is enough for a charge, even if the substance was legal where it was consumed.
When to call a drug offences lawyer in Singapore
The answer is simple and it does not change. Immediately on first contact with CNB or the police. Not after the first statement. Not after the urine test. Not after the phone has been returned. Immediately.
The three most common situations we see.
- “A family member has been arrested by CNB.” The person is usually in remand within 24 hours, and a bail application has to be prepared fast. Bail is harder for drug matters and almost never granted for capital charges.
- “I’ve been asked to attend CNB for a urine test and a statement.” This is sometimes a known contact (someone already arrested has named you). The first statement is the pivotal one. Pre-statement advice is extremely valuable here.
- “I was at a party overseas and there may have been residue on my clothes or hair.” Extraterritorial consumption is real. A positive test on return to Singapore triggers prosecution unless there is a genuine, provable explanation.
The three situations where a lawyer adds the most value.
- Before the first statement. We brief you on what CNB is likely to ask, your duty to answer, and what a statement under caution means. See also our criminal investigation defence page.
- At the charge-decision stage. Representations to the Attorney-General’s Chambers can, in the right matter, reduce a trafficking charge to possession, or keep a case within the non-capital band.
- At sentencing. A well-drafted mitigation plea addresses rehabilitation, family impact, and every relevant factor. The court has discretion within statutory limits, and that discretion is where a careful plea earns its keep.
Timeline, cost, and the hard part
How long it takes. A CNB investigation runs anywhere from a few weeks to several months. From charge to plea or trial is usually 6 to 18 months. Capital matters run longer because the defence investigation is extensive. Nothing about a drug case is fast.
How much it costs. Pre-statement advice is usually S$500 to S$1,500 for the first session. Representation through a consumption or low-level possession charge runs S$5,000 to S$15,000. Full defence of a trafficking charge runs S$25,000 to S$80,000 depending on complexity. Capital trafficking defence at the High Court can run S$50,000 to S$150,000 or more because of the intensity of preparation required. Fees are always in writing before any paid work. The 10-min Drug Offences Discovery Session is free.
What’s the hard part. Three things.
One, the mandatory minimums. Many drug offences carry mandatory minimum jail sentences and mandatory caning. A judge cannot go below them, even for a first offender. We will not promise an outcome a statute does not allow.
Two, the capital exposure. Trafficking above Second Schedule thresholds carries the mandatory death penalty. There is a narrow courier-plus-assistance exception that can bring a case down to life imprisonment with caning. Whether it applies is a careful, fact-specific question. This is why early legal representation matters.
Three, the family impact. Drug cases pull in parents, partners, siblings, and friends. Bank records are reviewed. Phones are downloaded. Neighbours are interviewed. None of this is pleasant. We work to keep the investigation focused on what it actually needs to be focused on.
How we handle drug matters at A.W. Law
A few things we do differently.
- Fast response to CNB calls. WhatsApp, day or weekend. We do not leave families waiting when a loved one is in custody.
- One lawyer through the whole matter. Same lawyer from the first CNB visit, through bail, charge, and plea or trial.
- Plain language on the real risk. We tell you, honestly, where the case sits on the Misuse of Drugs Act spectrum. We do not sell hope that is not there. We also do not panic you with worst-case numbers when the realistic outcome is much lower.
- Multilingual conversations. English, Malay, or Tamil. Many parents need the explanation in their first language. We do that directly.
- Careful plea work when that is the right call. A plea in mitigation is not a template. For drug matters, it is a detailed document drawing on rehabilitation history, family letters, work records, and anything that shifts the sentence within the range the court can actually give.
We’re at 133 New Bridge Road, #20-03 Chinatown Point, two minutes from Chinatown MRT, Exit E.
What happens next
If CNB has called, arrested, or tested a member of your family, the next step is simple. Book a free 10-min Drug Offences Discovery Session using the form, or WhatsApp us using the button on the screen. Tell us the drug alleged, the amount if known, and what stage the matter is at. We’ll say honestly where the case sits and what the next 48 hours should look like. Nothing commits you.
