Man gets caught for substance abuse by CNB, shares experience
A Singaporean has gone viral after sharing how a knock on his door one morning led to his arrest for substance abuse.
30-year-old Shawn, who was subsequently jailed for his offences, recounted the events of 19 April 2022 in a series of raw and vulnerable TikTok videos.
Singaporean looks back on arrest four years ago
Shawn began the first part of the sharing with a disclaimer, stressing that he is now clean and was not promoting substance use.
He added that he was simply documenting his past.
@shawnanthonypeter This is the story of how I was caught for substance abuse in Singapore and subsequently imprisoned. #tiktoksg #sgtiktok #prison #storytime
According to Shawn, the day of his arrest started routinely.
He prepared drug paraphernalia and consumed substances before settling down for breakfast, a vegan spaghetti Bolognese he vividly remembered enjoying.
“At about 8am, I heard my main door go tok, tok, tok, tok, tok,” said Shawn.
“And in that moment, my heart sank.”
Peering through the peephole, he saw a group of people wearing lanyards, whom he believed to be from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB).
Didn’t want to implicate family members
Despite having had a lingering feeling a month earlier that he might be caught, he admitted he had ignored the warning signs.
“I was rebellious. I was complacent,” said Shawn.
Source: @shawnanthonypeter on TikTok
Panicking, he briefly considered moving the drugs to another room but stopped himself, fearing his family members might get implicated.
Instead, he left everything where it was and opened the door. Officers entered swiftly and brought him to his room, where he was asked to declare any illegal items.
He admitted to having a vape and additional substances in a drawer. Shawn was then immediately handcuffed.
Arrested and jailed for offences
Reflecting on the moment, Shawn said his first thought was how “heavy” the handcuffs felt.
However, he noted that officers conducted the search in an orderly manner.
Source: Pixabay on Canva for illustration purposes only
In a poignant moment before being taken away, he also made a request: that officers quietly lock the door behind them and avoid alerting his family, who were asleep.
“I don’t want anyone to see me in handcuffs,” he shared, adding that he was “surprised” the officers complied with his request.
At the end of the video, he told viewers to stay tuned to part two of his experience.
He also posted a part three subsequently where he shared more about being transported to Changi prison.
Netizens thank OP for sharing experience
The video has since resonated with netizens, with many praising his honesty.
One commenter acknowledged that it isn’t easy to overcome addiction, and thanked the OP for sharing his story.
Source: TikTok
Several TikTok users also congratulated Shawn for “breaking the cycle”.
Source: TikTok
Source: TikTok
Ex-convict is now building a personal brand
Shawn told MS News that he chose to share his experience on social media because he is currently building a personal brand focused on mind, body, and soul transformation, drawing from his own experiences and lessons learned.
“I wouldn’t be able to effectively do that if I hid my story from the public,” he explained.
He hoped that by sharing his experiences through storytelling, he can offer some form of value, whatever that may be.
Recounting that fateful day, Shawn said: “I panicked at first but slowly, that panic turned into a resignation of my fate.”
He also shared that the officers who apprehended him were respectful, and empathetic enough to accede to his request not to wake his family.
“It dawned on me that they were just humans who had a job to do.”
MS News has also reached out to CNB for comment.
Also read: 34-year-old S’porean mother arrested after drugs found in her children’s bedroom in Punggol
34-year-old S’porean mother arrested after drugs found in her children’s bedroom in Punggol
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Featured image adapted from @shawnanthonypeter on TikTok & Pixabay on Canva for illustration purposes only.
