HSA Seizes $41,000 Worth of Illegal Cough Syrup and Prescription Drugs in Singapore

About S$41,000 worth of illegal cough syrup and prescription medication were seized in two separate enforcement operations conducted by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in November.

In a statement issued on Friday, November 28, HSA said officers raided two locations in Yishun on November 17, recovering 106 litres of codeine-based cough syrup valued at around S$29,000.

The operation was launched after a courier company alerted authorities to two suspicious crates at its storage facility. Though the packages were labelled as a popular household bleach brand, staff suspected they contained illicit substances.

The crates were meant to be delivered to two Yishun addresses that later became the focus of the raids. Preliminary investigations indicate that a 43-year-old Singaporean man had arranged for the shipment to be brought in for profit.

In a separate case, a 23-year-old foreign national was intercepted by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at Changi Airport Terminal 3 on November 19. He was found attempting to smuggle around 11,500 units of prescription-only medicines, including sedatives and painkillers, into Singapore. The items carried an estimated street value of S$12,000 and were believed to be intended for illegal distribution.

HSA reminded the public that prescription medication should only be obtained from a licensed doctor or pharmacy with a valid prescription. Investigations into both incidents are ongoing.