Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau arrested 3,338 drug abusers in 2015, up 6 percent from the previous year. However, the number of repeat abusers fell about 2 percent from 2,065 abusers in 2014 to 2,027 in 2015.
Methamphetamine and heroin were the two most commonly abused drugs, accounting for about 93 percent of all drug abusers arrested.
"In the face of the challenging global drug situation, the Central narcotics Bureau intensified its enforcement efforts, and the number of drug abusers arrested and drugs seized increased in 2015," said Ng Ser Song, Director of the bureau.
In 2015, CNB conducted 49 major operations, of which 18 were island-wide operations involving the Singapore Police Force.
The estimated street value of the drugs seized in 2015 was S$8.56 million, which was 5 percent higher than in 2014. Cannabis seizures increased by about 26 percent, from 35.03 kg in 2014 to 44.29 kg in 2015.
There was an increase in the number of abusers arrested across all ethnic groups, CNB said. The number of Chinese abusers arrested increased by 2 percent, while Malays arrested increased by 7 percent. Among Indians, the number of abusers rose by 3 percent.
The 2015 World Drug Report by the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime (UNODC) said the largest methamphetamine seizures were from East and Southeast Asia.
The amount of methamphetamine seized increased by almost 2.5 times from 34 tonnes in 2009 to 88 tonnes in 2013.
Singapore named actor Jackie Chan as its first celebrity anti-drug ambassador in 2015 and launched an anti-drug mobile game application titled Aversion.
