Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Training SingPost Employees to Detect Drugs, Contraband or Hazardous Materials

Question:

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs in light of the lysergic acid diethylamide stamps detected in a parcel at the SingPost Centre on 21 December 2023 (a) whether the Ministry requires SingPost employees to receive routine training and regular updates to detect signs of drugs, contraband or hazardous materials; (b) what resources are available to safeguard employees against the handling of such materials; and (c) whether the Ministry will, in addition to the available technology for detection, deploy sniffer dogs for biosecurity risks at the SingPost Centre.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law:

1. Officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) are stationed at SingPost Centre to screen all inbound articles and look out for prohibited, controlled, or dutiable items. SingPost officers support ICA by loading and unloading the articles for screening, and opening and re-sealing those that require physical inspection.

2. The screening process is carried out by ICA and SingPost officers in accordance with safety protocols. For example, if an article is suspected to be hazardous, both the ICA and SingPost officer would don Personal Protective Equipment prior to inspecting and handling the article. Upon detection of drugs, contraband, or hazardous materials, the article will be referred to the competent authority for further investigations.

3. ICA utilises screening equipment for the screening process and only activates sniffer dogs when needed.