Pill peddlers return to Geylang despite multiple raids in the area

SINGAPORE: Pill peddlers illegally hawking prescription medication, including the addictive codeine-laced mixtures, have returned to the streets in the Geylang area, pushing their wares closer to Housing Board estates.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) had conducted multiple raids in the area, but residents say the peddlers return the moment there is a let-up.

In a raid of a condominium unit in Geylang in May, HSA officers and the police seized 165 litres of cough syrup and more than 57,000 units of assorted medicine, with a street value of about S$130,000.

The unit was suspected to be used for the illegal manufacture and storage of cough syrup and medicine.

The Straits Times was alerted to two men operating near a coffee shop in Lorong 21A Geylang.

On Aug 5, ST saw them selling their pills next to a pavement frequented by residents of the Sims Place housing estate.

The elderly men appeared to have hidden their goods in a box on a bicycle, which was secured to a tree. Interested buyers would approach them before being brought to the bicycle where they collect their pills.

Miriam Lee, 55, said she often wondered about the number of people crowding around the bicycle.

The Sims Place resident added: “Now it makes sense. For months, I thought it was suspicious why the bicycle was always locked and kept there. The men selling the pills should be arrested.”

Chew, a retiree, is concerned the men will even sell medication to children.

The 64-year-old, who has lived in Sims Place for 24 years, said: “I’m surprised that the men are so old and still want to do this type of illegal business. What if it was their grandchildren asking to buy the pills? Would they sell?”

ST observed that the peddlers’ customers were mostly men between the ages of 20 and 50. Some were foreigners, who bought in bulk and stashed the individual tablets into plastic containers labelled as health supplements.

One of the peddlers could be heard telling a buyer that digital payments were a problem as the authorities would be able to track the transactions.

The men recorded the transactions in a small notebook after each sale.

Currently, one person is assisting HSA with its investigation into the illegal sale of pills at Lorong 21A.

Sedatives and codeine-containing cough medication, which contain potent ingredients, are prescription drugs that can be supplied only by a doctor or a pharmacist.

A spokesman for HSA said: “Taking these medicines inappropriately for non-medical uses or without medical supervision can be dangerous, as they can cause serious adverse effects including drowsiness, confusion, respiratory depression, hallucinations, as well as development of physical and psychological dependence.”

Consumers also risk their health by consuming the illicit pills, as they may be “adulterated, fake or substandard”. HSA said that there is no knowing where these products were manufactured, and how they were made and stored.

The authority had previously warned that as long as there is demand, unscrupulous persons will continue to manufacture and sell cough syrup and medicine for quick gains without regard for human health.

In the raid in May, HSA officers and the police recovered 984 prescription-size 90ml bottles, one 3.8 litre canister and three 25 litre plastic buckets, which were filled with cough syrup.

HSA said the cough syrup was manufactured in the unit’s bathroom, where measuring cups containing cough syrup mixture were left uncovered next to the toilet bowl and on the sink countertop.

From 2021 to 2023, 31 people were prosecuted for selling or importing cough syrup and sedatives illegally.

In the same period, HSA seized roughly 1,100 litres of cough syrup and 500,000 units of sedatives with a combined street value of about $1.03 million.

The authority in 2022 seized more than 737,000 units of illegal health products worth $640,000 in street value through enforcement raids and covert purchases. This is about $200,000 higher than the seizure amount in 2021.

The most common products seized in 2022 were codeine cough syrup (46 per cent), sexual enhancement or male vitality products (39 per cent) and sedatives (9 per cent).

HSA took enforcement action against sellers on local e-commerce and social media platforms as well.

In 2022, the authority removed 477 illegal online listings of male vitality products, topical products marketed for allergies or eczema, pain relief products and weight loss products. It also issued 192 warnings to sellers that same year.

Former addict B. Tan said peddlers sell sedatives such as Valium, alprazolam, Erimin and codeine tablets.

The 39-year-old, who used to abuse cough mixture for several years, said addicts buy these drugs from “makeshift pharmacies” as it is too troublesome to get a prescription at the clinics.

Added Tan: “I’m still young but my cough syrup abuse has taken a toll on my back and kidneys. I now feel like an old man.”

Under the law, anyone caught importing, manufacturing or supplying illegal health products can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $50,000.

HSA said those who are aware of any activities involving illegal cough syrup and medicine can make a report to its enforcement branch on 6866-3485. – The Straits Times/ANN