SINGAPORE – An alleged drug abuser who jumped bail in 2017 before he was arrested in Malaysia on Oct 1, 2024, has been handed a drug trafficking charge.

       Alvin Ching Kah Meng, 37, was sent back to Singapore on Oct 20, and he appeared in a district court the next day.

       According to court documents, the Singaporean allegedly engaged in a conspiracy with two other people to traffic two packets of a crystalline substance on or around April 1, 2014.

       They were later found to contain at least 165.7g of methamphetamine or Ice.

       In a statement on Oct 21, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said that Ching was initially arrested and charged in court on April 3, 2014, with three counts of drug trafficking and one count of drug consumption.

       He was released on bail, but an arrest warrant was issued against him after he failed to turn up in court on June 12, 2017.

       Without revealing details, a CNB spokesperson added: “The man was also wanted by the police to assist in investigations into two cases of voluntarily causing grievous hurt and cheating by impersonation.”

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       Malaysian authorities arrested Ching on Oct 1 for criminal and immigration offences.

       On Oct 20, he was sent back to Singapore where CNB officers arrested him. His case has been adjourned to Oct 28.

       If convicted of trafficking the 165.7g of Ice, Ching can be jailed for up to 20 years and receive up to 15 strokes of the cane.

       CNB states on its website that those convicted of trafficking more than 250g of the same drug may face the death penalty.