Sex drugs seller gets jail after trying to bribe officers
A 39-year-old man was jailed for 14 weeks after repeatedly attempting to bribe enforcement officers with S$53, following his arrest for selling unlicensed sex enhancement drugs.
Chen Shaowei, a Chinese national, faced four charges, including obstruction of justice, hindering a public servant, and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
He was caught during a joint enforcement operation by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and auxiliary police officers on 31 May 2023 along Aljunied Road, where he was spotted seated beside a makeshift table displaying the illicit pills.
Man offers bribe after insisting sex drugs are not his
According to Shin Min Daily News (SMDN), the plain-clothes officers approached Chen at around 4.25pm near 35 Aljunied Road.
When one officer placed a hand on his shoulder, Chen tried to flee.
He was quickly stopped and told in both English and Mandarin that he had to cooperate and provide his identification.
Chen, however, repeatedly denied ownership of the pills, telling officers: “Not mine.”
When eventually asked about his arrival in Singapore, Chen reluctantly handed over his passport and documents — but also pulled out a bundle of notes worth S$53 from his back pocket and tried to pass them to the auxiliary police officer.
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The officer responded, “You’re trying to bribe me again. That’s not how this works,” while the HSA officer pushed away his hand.
Seven attempts to offer bribe despite warnings
Despite the multiple warnings, Chen continued to insistently offer what he called “kopi money” — a local euphemism for bribes — to the officers, attempting this seven times.
As he refused to cooperate further, the officers were forced to call the police. Even then, Chen continued repeating “kopi” and tried to hand over the cash.
During questioning, he admitted that he believed Singapore officers could be “settled” the same way as some officers in China and Malaysia, and that a bribe would stop them from probing further about the drugs and his immigration status.
After this incident, Chen was arrested and later released on bail on 1 June 2023.
Arrested again after pushing officer & grabbing seized drugs
However, the saga did not end there — Chen got into further trouble about a year later, while still out on bail.
On 24 May 2024, Certis CISCO officers seized sexual enhancement pills from a red container in Geylang, following a tip-off from a nearby shop owner.
At about 10.27pm, Chen approached the officers aggressively, shouting in Mandarin and demanding to know why they had taken the drugs when he had not displayed them.
In the confrontation caught on bodycam, Chen pushed one officer in the chest and upper arms while trying to seize the confiscated bag.
He then shoved another officer holding the stash, grabbed it, and fled the scene.
According to CNA, Chen was arrested the next day and again released on bail.
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“Spur of the moment”, says lawyer
In mitigation, Chen’s lawyer argued that the bribes were offered “in the spur of the moment”.
He also claimed that Chen had only used force “in the heat of the moment” to retrieve what he believed were his personal belongings.
The officer involved was also not injured.
The court, however, found the repeated bribery attempts and use of force on enforcement officers serious enough to warrant a custodial sentence, CNA said.
Chen was sentenced to 14 weeks’ imprisonment on Tuesday (3 June).
Source: KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA on Canva. Pic for illustrative purposes only.
HSA continues crackdown on illegal health products
This incident is the latest in a series of enforcement actions targeting the illegal sale of unlicensed health products, particularly in Geylang and other high-risk areas.
According to the 2024 HSA annual report, sexual enhancement drugs were the second-highest illegal products seized by HSA last year.
Members of the public are reminded not to purchase or consume unregulated “health supplements” sold at street stalls or online, as these may contain harmful ingredients and pose serious health risks.
“Consumers need to be aware that illegal health products often masquerade as quick fixes and miracle cures,” said Associate Professor Chan Cheng Leng, Group Director of HSA’s Health Products Regulation Group.
“In reality, they may be ticking time bombs as they can harm your health.”
Also read: Geylang food court allegedly used for vice activities & unlawful lotteries, 44 people arrested
Geylang food court allegedly used for vice activities & unlawful lotteries, 44 people arrested
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