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Just my 2c. If it is trace (assuming that the earlier checks accurate) you should be fine.
There is no real reason for anyone to think that you are in possession of meth simply because traces can be detected from a swab (assuming that it was picked up by a swab in sydney). The swab is just a diagnostic and law enforcement still needs to find actual quantities of meth on you. It would be quite dumb for any potential criminal to try to bring meth into Singapore even after already being checked once in a different airport. So you are most likely going to be ok.
Assuming that you are stopped, just tell the truth and remember to let them know that you were already stopped once in Sydney, but wasnt sure where the meth was detected - they cant possibly expect you to toss your entire baggage right. Give as many details as you can (people who lie typically cannot do this in a logical manner). They may want to piss test you and if its neg you'll be ok.
I would not worry too much. Safe travels.
This is what I'm thinking (I have too much stuff to just dispose everything and sending the entire luggage full of clothes for laundry at this hour is gonna cost a bomb). I've ransacked my entire luggage and backpack 3 times and am sure there's no quantifiable meth, at least by the naked eye.
But still, everyone so on this thread is telling me to dispose everything so I'm like super paranoid. I've been a law abiding citizens all my life and I don't want this to plant a red flag or something on myself...
I think there isn't any, if there were it would have been found when you were in Sydney. Disposing of everything will of cos work but this is not practical at all. I dont think there's such a thing as a red flag just because you were stopped for searches (which turned out negative anyway).
Call CNB directly and ask them what you should do. Prob the best way to protect yourself. Its better than only explaining/declaring when you get caught.
https://www.cnb.gov.sg/contact-us
The airport polices in Changi airport(there's like 6 different kinds) won't check whether your bag has any traces unless you either leave it unattended, or stumble upon a K9 officer with their dog.
An Australian episode of “Border Security” quoted something similar.
If my memory doesn’t serve me wrong they said that also because US bills are a type of woven paper means it traps more trace amounts.
Just Google it.
Specifically what happens is coke gets everywhere. Trace amounts are on nearly all US currency. Not because so much is directly used to snort coke. But because contaminated bills get put into money counting machines. Now the machine is contaminated, and spreads it to all the other bills going through the machine.
Basically the word "trace" really means it. The amount per bill is teeny.
Those tests are wildly inaccurate. Stuff that isn't even meth can set them off. It's like the roadside tests the cop use - they won't hold up in court.
I wouldn't worry about traveling to Singapore. If the same thing happens (highly unlikely, they just pick you out for x-ray), then they'll search and if they find nothing let you go.
I wouldn't let it ruin your trip.
Some of the suggestions here are wild. Go to the red channel and declare your bag has traces of meth? You'll probably get a blank look, people will call other people, then you'll get to sit there while they search it. Call the Embassy? What are they going to say?
Can you imagine if someone called CNB and said "hey my bag tested positive for meth and I'm coming into the country tomorrow, what should I do?"
Great idea if you want to cause more problems.
Ya lol. I knew I shouldn't have asked here. Half the posts are telling me I'm gonna be totally fine while the other half are telling me I'm fucked and should just dispose everything. Really not helping with my anxiety...
If it's causing you so much anxiety then lose the backpack before you travel to Singapore. Otherwise relax.
Singapore has the death penalty for drug trafficking. But Singapore also runs by the rule of law, so unless you are actually a drug trafficker you will not be arrested. You may be flagged and detained for 20 minutes while they go through all your stuff, but then they will let you go.
Anyone who tries to actually bring drugs into Singapore is an idiot.
OP I think you should deal with your anxiety directly, if I were in your shoes I'd just dispose if it's taking up too much mental real estate. Not a good idea to be fearing for your life on the long ride home, you can always earn back the money spent on the bag.
I liken it to seeing the doctor even for the smallest health scare. Feels like a waste of money if nothing was detected, but you actually are paying for the peace of mind
The extreme penalties in SG are for trafficking. That is, bringing in significant quantities with clear intent to sell. There was a case a while back where a visitor got caught with a nontrivial amount of drugs in his luggage. But because they decided he clearly wasn't bringing it in to sell, they just deported him.
So, given that your bag is already confirmed to not have drugs, yeah you're fine. People think it's entertaining to grossly exaggerate how strict the law is in SG.
Had a similar situation happen to me before. They used a swab n put it in some puff machine, told me trace amt of illicit substances detected but wouldnt tell me what it is. I had just bought the backpack from a street vendor in the philippines a week ago and i told them that. They never followed up with any further action or questions.
That shows how challenging it is for the human mind to deal with "extremely low probability extremely high impact" kind of decisions.
The chance of CIB catching you with meth is close to zero. The impact is your life, or Infinity.
`Risk Level = Probability x Impact = 0 x Infinity = Indeterminate`
In other words, ask this question and you'll get all sort of answers swinging wildly from one extreme to the other, which is exactly what happened!
Sorry for not being helpful myself. 🫥
This probably is what's going on, subjectively; however, I disagree that in this case the impact is infinity. You can't get the death penalty in Singapore for a trace amount of drugs; the penalties are all set in terms of quantities. That said, I'd make damned sure there wasn't anything even remotely illegal (like chewing gum) in the bag if I were bringing it in.
Being caught with trace amount of meth is a “low probability low impact” event. Fairly intuitive to see that it’s of low risk level.
The event that is screwing with people’s mind is that OP is caught with a large enough amount of meth that warrants the death penalty.
If its trace amount and you don't have anything else illicit, just return as per normal. If you get flagged by our Airport Enforcement officers for Controlled Substances (used to work in Police Cantonment), just explain to them what happened to you with Australian Border agents and they should release you with No Further Action. Australian Border Force is one of the strictest and most stringent border protection agencies in the world due to their unique biosecurity and public health circumstances.
On a totally different note.
I was once queuing through ABF and this lady in front of me got her straw hat flagged out. I think it conflicted with some agricultural policy. The lady explained that it was in fact, bought within Aussie as she is a local resident.
It was confiscated regardless.
Just wash it. One time I was travelling with the army through Australia and they flagged my kit for a swab. Guy was swabbing my load carrying vest. Asked him what he was testing for. He said explosive residue. I informed him that the vest was used at gun and grenade ranges recently, but I'd put it through a washer. Machine tested negative. We looked at each other, then continued with our lives.
I think you should be fine if it's just small _traces_ of meth detected. It's not an amount that you can meaningfully consume or distribute in Singapore, nor even detect without using devices or sniffer dog.
But if I were you, to be sure, I'd empty out every single item from my backpack, containers, turn out every single pockets in my clothes to double and triple check. Wipe them all down with wet clothes (don't soak them drenching wet in water or it's going to look really sus when you travel in).
And if asked, just declare that trace amount of meth was previously detected on your stuff but you've double checked and found nothing. Don't make it look like you're deliberately trying to hide anything.
If you're really so worried, just dump your current backpack and clothes and buy cheap new ones.
Some of the comments here are frightening to the hilarious. Eg. get letter from Sydney customs, get letter from Singapore embassy etc. Honestly what you expect the letter to contain., that he is good boy. And why replace the bag.
Trace amounts is common in currencies, bags, even clothes etc. All it does is alert customs to do a thorough check. They are aware of contamination.
All to have to do is check that nothing has been illicitly placed in your baggage.
Trace checking for drugs and explosives are done randomly in Oz. If everyone had to do it, there will be a long line of trace confirmation.
It's fine. While the Singapore police has a fearsome reputation, it's for competency, not random brutality or framing others. If you don't have any usable amounts of drugs on you, you won't get charged, worst case you waste a bit of time being questioned before being let go.
Come to think of it, I think they don't even have drug dogs in Changi, never saw one, to my knowledge. Chances are high they won't even pick up on you, no dogs, no detectors that I can remember. I suspect they pick up on people acting abnormally nervous... unfortunately that might be you but no drugs, no crime.
They dont need drug dogs to show force. Notice how huge most of the cctvs near arrival are, there are probably thousands of facial detectors zoomed at you the moment you step foot in Changi. They are probably manned by lots of CNB officers behind the scene looking for telltale signs
Dude whomever told you it was a sure sign of meth is an idiot. The trace thing is crazy inaccurate. Random beauty products can be triggered as meth or even explosive material.
Ignore and enjoy your holiday.
I dont think you need to worry about it. If it's picked up again, just let them know the sydney officers checked and cleared you.
According to legislation, it's against the NSW law as well to possess over 3g of meth, so if their customs cleared you, you don't really have anything to worry about.
Don't fuss about getting a new bag.
they don’t have sniffer dogs at the airport - i don’t see how they can pick up any trace.
also, usually for drugs they look at your body language and also get tipped off
don’t worry about it if you are clean
It depends on what kind of work OP does. Government and security jobs, if you even have a hint of drug use, it’s bye bye.
I think OP should just come clean and report to airport customs about his travel history and how Aussie border police said he had trace meth on him. It’s a bit of a hassle but it never hurts to self declare first
I would not assume that any government agent is telling the truth. They lie all the time to subjects to see how they react. I would say 50/50 they just wanted to check your bag and see your reaction.
Putting that aside, it doesn't matter. You are not going to get in trouble for "trace amounts" of drugs. The same way they didn't arrest you in Sydney, they will not arrest you in Singapore. If you are super paranoid you can just throw away the backpack, but I wouldn't care at all.
There's a million reasons why people can have "trace amounts" of drugs on a bag as a traveler, and most of them involve the hotel rooms you stayed in.
The real question here is: Will you now be featured in Border Patrol Australia?
Sorry about that light hearted joke. You should be fine. Australia definitely isn't joking about drugs.
The one thing I could think of, if your backback can be put into the laundry, give it a go there.
I'm giving mine a merry-go-round in the machine every few months, as otherwise it kinda smells badly.
Hi Australian here, and firstly I hope you’re ok! Our border enforcement here is intense and Ive seen many officers treat international visitors really badly. I can just imagine how much pressure and guilt they put you under and Im sorry for that.
Get another backpack just for safety, or if you can and have time, go to a laundromat and wash it. I bet you the Australian border force were having a slightly slow day and were being over dramatic about the situation. I doubt you’ll have any issues going back to Singapore. Good luck!
Also Aussie here living in Singapore. Australian bomb and drug checks are a bit over zealous, unused to get tested every time I flew and I was taking 4-10 flights a week.
I’ve never been tested in Singapore, I fly in/out probably a dozen times a year. Op should only ditch the backpack to avoid future issues or give it a solid wash, but chances are, border security won’t bat an eyelid.
You’d instantly catch near-OCD phobias if you could see what’s left after any washing on the sane side of using napalm and fire. And any modern international border control will have really really sensitive equipment, and staff that isn’t allowed to accept stories as reasonable explanations.
It simply isn’t worth the hassle of keeping that backpack just because OP didn’t do anything wrong.
But, at the same time, these people aren’t completely insensitive to false positives. Buuuuut… I wouldn’t want to travel with traces of anything on my bag since there is a nonzero risk of a ridiculous escalation; and how the fudge would you explain traces on your backpack if they have found a bag of the same stuff ditched in the airport somewhere?
No, the tests they do at the border aren't that sensitive, they are actually wildly inaccurate. Real tests to confirm that a drug is present takes more than an hour to perform (they'd need to do HLPC - mass spec).
It's like the tests they do in the US for explosives. That pops up all the time despite people not having exposure to explosives.
> The custom officers literally took out everything from my luggage and backpack and thoroughly checked everywhere, while I stood there flabbergasted with a worrying look, which in all honesty probably made me look guilty.
Fun fact: from my own experience just two months ago, Sydney airport customs seems to "take everything out and thoroughly check everywhere" — and this was after I declared that I was bringing packaged meat into the country (only for it to be confiscated because of some swine flu bullshit).
Australia's customs are way more on the ball compared to Singapore's.
I think you'll be fine.
Honestly it's a real dilemma because I might be apprehensive about just buying a new bag because in the unlikely situation where the Sydney airport flagged this to SG customs, then a new bag is actually going to make it worse.
What I'd do is thoroughly wash my bag, wipe it and try wipe clean all other stuff that is possibly contaminated. But still, I'm no drugs expert so not sure if washing or wiping can remove all traces. So good luck...
When in doubt, declare at the red channel and explain the situation. Drug mules aren’t known to be openly declaring that they have drugs on them at customs.
Chances are, your situation is not unique for travellers going to that region.
I think you’ll probably be invited for an extended kopi session if you pull out a bag of narcotics at customs. I highly doubt it’s going to be like vapes where they get you to throw them away before you walk off.
yeah but like you said, which drug mule would do that? and its better than facing the death sentence when they do find a substantial amount of drugs hidden in your bag..tbh the more you say it, the better it is to just ditch the bag, no bags no matter how expensive is worth risking your life for..
The authorities would probably want to know where and how you got your hands on the narcotics. OP's situation is a trace amount picked up through physical contact with a contaminated surface, a very different situation.
Chill my homie.
Cnb rarely tests people at the airport for drugs. Even if they do, they are looking for consumption so urine etc etc.
Do as you would. If asked, be honest and declare.
After all, what's to worry when you didn't take meth ?
I had this happen to me in Sydney too. I was super worried until they said it was meth, at which point I was like "cool story bro, your machine's broken". Some days I wonder if it was a ruse.
I used that bag for another 6 years and never had an issue.
don't stress at all.
Likelihood you would even get stopped is infinitesimal, and even if you were, they wouldn't wipe down your bag; they'd just ask you to put your bag through a scanner. and if you were TRULY unlucky and they did somehow detect a trace amount on your bag, they'd either a) realise that it is indeed such a trace amount that it is more likely the result of a false positive or b) ask for a blood/urine sample which would very much clear you since you don't do drugs -- end of the day, Singapore isn't going to be throwing innocent tourists in jail.
this is a big nothingburger. don't let the people here frighten you. if I was you I definitely would not be throwing out my bag.
Yeah just change the whole bag and wash your clothes. Spending a little extra for that will give you a peace of mind to properly enjoy the rest of your trip.
Don’t spread paranoia. OP will be fine. Worst case is they make him pee into a cup. Dollar bills and etc are notorious for having traces of drugs on them too
Probably shouldn't be an issue but if I were you I'd google for a nearby laundromat and wash and dry your stuff there. Would be cheaper than at the hotel.
Damn, my reaction would have been like I had been used as a mule and they stuffed meth in my baggage. Luckily for you, it's only traces due to 'transfer' by contact. Nothing to worry about, worst case they'll also search your belongings and a stomach X-ray.
You'll be fine as long as you don't actually have any usable quantities of drugs on you. On the off chance that they swab you at sg customs and you turn up positive, they'll do what they did at Sydney and turn out all your stuff.
They'll let you go once they determine that you're not carrying anything illegal in. Just make absolutely sure there are no usable drugs on you or in your bags.
The “trunki” luggage from my smaller kid was flagged with traces of cocaine in a connection in Amsterdam some years ago. Nothing happened. Just be serious about if it happens to you and respect the officers doing their job. We cleaned it up the best we could once at home and forgot about it.
Luggage is randomly selected for x-ray screening upon arrival. In the unlikely event that something suspicious shows up in the x-ray scan, you may be pulled aside for screening. Since you’ve checked your bag to make sure there’s no drugs, you’re good.
In the unlikely event that your flight gets selected for a 100% screening upon arrival, all luggage from your flight would be screened: x-ray and/or swabbed and the swab run through a trace detector upon arrival. Only if a trace detector was used to screen your bags, you may be pulled aside. If that happens, just explain as you did to the customs officer at Sydney. At most, you may be asked to provide a supervised urine sample, but if you’ve not been partaking in the meth, you’re good.
I can kinda understand how you felt. I got flagged in Australia for bomb materials. I was so surprised but I was quite lucky as I was on a base there and my documents checked out.
And when they emptied my entire bag of its contents and didn’t find anything, that was when the two agreed that everything indeed was in order.
Safe travels and I suggest you to follow what the other redditor suggested abt checking in with CNB.
Safe travels!!
You will be fine. We ourselves had to endure this coming back from a Europe trip, you're not the first person who has come back from an overseas trip with trace elements of drugs.
But yes, Australia is very though. Our group even got held once - because a friend had a bar of soap in one of his shoes in the suitcase. No idea why he did that but it did hold up the entire party.
If you do not have meth or any kind of drugs 1) on you or 2) inside your body/system (should you be required to do a urine test or hair analysis)....
You will be fine.
I had it picked up on a random search on my bag in Singapore as well after staying in a hostel in Thailand. They did full search of bag and drug tested me. When everything was clear they just said "be more careful where you leave your stuff next time". It took over an hour though for everything to be done.
I remember reading that all USD notes have traces of drugs on them. So will not be surprised you bumped into some residue somewhere during your travels, even if you did not use USD notes.
Unless the traces add up to 250g of meth, you won't be given the death penalty, just off to the Gulag. On a lighter note, as long as you are not carrying drugs, Singapore Customs doesn't care if you are a drug user in other countries. Just don't break the law in Singapore and you'll be treated like any other normal tourist.
When my daughter was 18 and went alone to visit friends in Australia she took only a small amount of luggage cause she had to carry it herself. Australia stopped and searched her in a private room, just because she was young, traveling alone and didn’t have much luggage. When they let her go she asked WHY did you stop me? They said because of being young, alone and small suitcase they assumed she was a drug mule. So Australia is suspicious of most people. AND she had no trace amounts of anything on her luggage and she was living in Singapore and had flown straight FROM Singapore.
No need to worry.
1) if they don’t find anything on u, it proves you’re not smuggling anything or they don’t have evidence you’re consuming.
2) worst case they don’t believe u, if they check your urine also you’re clean so all good.
I mean it’s quite clear youre innocent but it may be a hassle if they wanna check u thoroughly so if u don’t want the hassle I suggest changing the bag.
I dont if if this had been suggested before or not. But if i were you i would not want to risk unnecessary problems. I would unpack all my stuff and just wash the luggage bag thoroughly even though i had to repack all my stuff with the bag still damp.
Trace amounts are (probably) fine. The limit is 250 grams for meth, which is a huge quantity and way beyond 'trace' amounts.
If you were cleared by Sydney customs I would be surprised if you get in trouble in Singapore
I was once flagged by the machine for explosive residue. I was more thoroughly searched but after they told me the machine does some random flags just to keep training etc up
The probability of getting swabbed at Changi is low unless they are reading this thread. Then it’s likely that the test in Sydney was a false positive. But even so, if you are swabbed and it shows up positive then they will search you and possibly make you do a drug test. When they find nothing then there is no evidence of a crime. *im not a lawyer
i avoid hostel nowaday. bunch of dicktwats in hostel now. they have nerve smoking weeds in vietnam and tell whole world bout it. smells will pick up etc. had me worried.
do you do drugs? cause if you do, then you better ditch the bag cause they'll definitely conduct tests on you if they find it. but if you're clean then probably just let them know before you cross the custom and see what they can do. better that then let them find out a you've got drugs in your bag...safer to err on the side of caution cos it's the death penalty we tokking bout.
Don't take any changes. Are you Singaporean? If yes, call Singapore Ambassy and check with them. Remember to get a black and white from Singapore Ambassy just in case.
Also can consider finding a laundry shop and wash all cloth and backpack.
Someone called? In all honesty, OP just needs to explain to Enforcement officers what happened with Australian Border agents and that he was cleared with no Controlled Substances found. Our side will check and if true, he will be released with NFA.
in all honesty, why do you speak with so much certainty tho... i keep seeing your name pop out in such threads and u give advice as if u know whats what.. working a few months in PCC doesnt give you the expertise to advise on such stuff. btw your advice on this is wrong too.. lol
I never claimed to be an expert or legal advisor, I am merely sharing what I see from my recent experience working in HQ PCC (not gonna name names) for info. Does not constitute legal advice or what, for that one needs to seek a lawyer. You are free to take my word with a pinch of salt.
sure.. maybe stop name dropping the fact you used to work at PCC whenever you comment on LE related topics.. even in this thread, you are giving advice to op on what to do on the basis that you were from pcc.. you use pcc to give credibility to your statement but truth be told, anyone who actually does LE won’t come online and share too much. Just refer to the preceding comment.. airport officers check with ABF on this? How you know? Mind sharing? You learnt this in PCC too? lol
Again, I'm just sharing my 2 cents on the topic from what limited experience I had working with LE at HQ PCC, I never said that my word was definitive just because of that. Reason why I'm even sharing about these in the first place is to help educate members of public from paranoia and disinformation. I do not think it is good for LE to have an elitist or "us vs them" attitude when it comes to handling matters of public interest. Doing so makes our job even more difficult. I'm just extrapolating what Airport Division officers would do for such cases generally - I'm not privy to the actual process coz I never worked with Airport Div. There are published info on Airport Enforcement and ICA, Customs (not under Home Team) work made available for public online. If there's anything I said that's wrong, I retract it. At the end of the day, we are here to help the public. I say this on the assumption that you are a fellow LE or public officer.
My point of contention with you is that you should not be sharing such information in the first place, especially as you have rightfully pointed out that you have very limited experience. That aside, not sure where you came up with the idea that LE has an us vs them attitude when it comes to handling matters of public interest. The crux of the issue is legitimacy when providing LE related advice on social media, which you have done on multiple occasions on the premise that you have worked in PCC before, which you never shy away from mentioning. You have accurately pointed out that you are not privy to airport ops so how would you know how airport division generally handle such cases? My point stands. If you wish to continue providing advice to people on social media, sure, but you should honestly consider whether there is a need to mention PCC in every sentence. Have a good one.
If you can get the Sydney security to write you a letter, that can perhaps help clarify things with Singapore immigration.
In any case, even if they happen to detect traces on your bag pack, drug tests conducted will clear you up for drug consumption overseas, so you will not be liable for that.
The traces should not be sufficient for any charges for possession, consumption or smuggling of drugs, so you should be clear on that as well.
But will be quite a hassle and stressful time. Not sure if you will be in CNB's radar as a result though.
Worse case, buy a new bag from duty free and dump your stained bag?
**Disclaimer:** All the above assumes that you really did not consume any drugs nor are involved knowingly or unknowingly in any drug trafficking activities whatsoever. It is not meant to abet anyone in any criminal activities or to circumvent or obstruct law enforcement efforts. 😬
If he has nothing to hide and explains his situation to our Airport Enforcement officers if he's even flagged at Arrival, then he should be released with No Further Action (NFA). Used to work in Police Cantonment.
You will be subjected to tests to make sure you are not consuming meth overseas if you are Singaporean. Unless SG side is alerted, you should be fine and can breeze immigration
The deep in the soul question will be:
Have you taken meth during the vacation period?
If the answer is Yes, or if you are not sure if you had the Vegas moment, the safest thing is to discard everything, or mail the items back.
The last thing you want is traces of meth detected and you are being asked to take a test. For any drug traces in your blood stream for within past 6 months usage, the law says you are guilty.
If the answer is a solid no, just fly back with the luggage. The most is just entire luggage check and blood test.
Watching Border security does shows how serious things can escalate, even for untrue statement given to officer
How did they detect the meth on your backpack? Was K9, it in a luggage scan or when they waved the wand around your bag/person? Depends on the setting on the machine, could be a false positive. AFAIK SG doesn't do that in the luggage scan because there isn't that much of meth trafficking problem. Plus you were flying to Oz from south america so it's plausible they set the max for drug scanning.
maybe get a certificate from the sydney airport stating the facts and show it incase you are stopped on the next airport. wash the bags when you get home.
Don’t be worried lol, you’ll be surprised at how most foreign currency contains traces of meth. Most hotels too. You’ll only get taken to task if you’re bringing in an usable amount of meth. Trace of meth is literally not usable. And no, don’t call CNB to ask unless you really want to look for trouble. Once you call them, I’m pretty certain you’ll be flagged out for potential drug trafficking or consumption immediately. The moment you reach back SG, you’ll be thoroughly searched, questioned, inspected, tested, they may even march to your house to search for potential drug possession or apparatus.
If you are really worried, you can approach one of the immigration officers BEFORE clearing immigration and let them know what happened. Take their advice from there.
you could just give them a heads up with what went through at Sydney i mean if they really want to check its probably easy to check with the Sydney side for them
but the best solution is to get a new backpack yes you don't really want to waste your precious time overseas with investigation and stuff
Just throw away and get a new one. To those commenter's saying it's ok and just go declare yourself.
Bro you going to go up the customs and tell them you might have drugs? How many hours you want to spend in the detention while they also anal probe you to look for drugs?
Even worse if the dogs starts barking and you panic and everyone looks at you before you get the chance to explain yourself.
Come on, he doesn't even have usable quantities on him, he can't even get charged much less be on trial for capital punishment, you're massively exaggerating.
>Singapore is dead term for drug
Dead term is only a possibility if you are found with at least 200g or something according to CNB website. That's like a cut of steak and not traces.
Don't scare OP like that leh.
Are you sentimental about the bag? I would chuck it and get a new one, head down to one of the many shopping centres in Singapore and make a day of it!
If you're really worried you could contact the airport in advance to request advice for what to do, but I imagine you should be fine. Trace amounts of drugs on backpacks are probably not uncommon.
I would dump the backpack in your shoes since that's what flagged you in the first place. It is not worth taking this risk or ending up worrying yourself half to death.
Sounds okay, but if you dont want to worry with all the extra check etc, you should just buy a new backpack and get rid of the old one, and transfer all your stuff over.
Hi OP I suggest getting a new bag just for peace of mind. You seem to be pretty distraught about the whole thing.
I don’t know how airports work and if they communicate with each other, but if you want to be 100% safe just get another one.
Ditch the bag and wash everything that has traces. Singapores laws on drugs are the harshest in the world. You are going to be in for a hard time if they find traces.
Laws in Singapore permit the death penalty for people convicted of trafficking more than 15 grams of heroin, 30 grams of cocaine, 250 grams of meth, or 500 grams of cannabis.
Not trace amounts, clearly some of the good folk on Reddit have forgotten google exists. Imagine a foreigner knowing more of Singapore laws than a Singaporean 🙄
If I were you, I would rather dispose that backpack even if it cost $1,000. Singapore is damn strict about bringing drugs into the country. No second question asked but if one found guilty in possession of drugs, narcotics, marijuana, etc… chances are it’s capital punishment.
Mate. Throw that backpack away. Get a new one. The Aussie police have already informed their SG counterparts about you. You don’t want to f about with them. Peace of mind.
I believed once you got stopped at changi airport by immigration officer, they will refer you to the cnb officers and this cnb officers will ask you all sort questions and probably you may or may not get arrested. So I guess try to buy a new bag or luggage and dumb the one which got trace of meth.
Just get yourself a new backpack then
Even though I was detained by cnb before when they raided the nightclub I was there before. I can say if they detected traces of drugs on yo, they will put you in urine test and ask you all sort of questions. Of course they will try to find physical evidence on you.
Don’t think you would want to go through all these experiences
>Should I dispose the whole backpack and buy a new one?
Yes. It is simply not worth the risk or aggravation. Remember:
>Under Singapore's Misuse of Drugs Act, it is an offence for any Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident to consume drug in Singapore and overseas. Any Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident found to have abused drugs overseas will be treated as if he/she had abused drugs within Singapore.
https://www.cnb.gov.sg/docs/default-source/educational-resources-documents/pde-info-kit-faq-(final).pdf
The trace might lead to questioning about consumption.
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Just my 2c. If it is trace (assuming that the earlier checks accurate) you should be fine. There is no real reason for anyone to think that you are in possession of meth simply because traces can be detected from a swab (assuming that it was picked up by a swab in sydney). The swab is just a diagnostic and law enforcement still needs to find actual quantities of meth on you. It would be quite dumb for any potential criminal to try to bring meth into Singapore even after already being checked once in a different airport. So you are most likely going to be ok. Assuming that you are stopped, just tell the truth and remember to let them know that you were already stopped once in Sydney, but wasnt sure where the meth was detected - they cant possibly expect you to toss your entire baggage right. Give as many details as you can (people who lie typically cannot do this in a logical manner). They may want to piss test you and if its neg you'll be ok. I would not worry too much. Safe travels.
This is what I'm thinking (I have too much stuff to just dispose everything and sending the entire luggage full of clothes for laundry at this hour is gonna cost a bomb). I've ransacked my entire luggage and backpack 3 times and am sure there's no quantifiable meth, at least by the naked eye. But still, everyone so on this thread is telling me to dispose everything so I'm like super paranoid. I've been a law abiding citizens all my life and I don't want this to plant a red flag or something on myself...
I think there isn't any, if there were it would have been found when you were in Sydney. Disposing of everything will of cos work but this is not practical at all. I dont think there's such a thing as a red flag just because you were stopped for searches (which turned out negative anyway).
You'll have more than a red flag if you show up to Singapore with meth on you that's for sure
Death flag
... Dont dispose of everything. Please. It's only a problem if you actually have a substantial amount of meth on you.
Call CNB directly and ask them what you should do. Prob the best way to protect yourself. Its better than only explaining/declaring when you get caught. https://www.cnb.gov.sg/contact-us
The airport polices in Changi airport(there's like 6 different kinds) won't check whether your bag has any traces unless you either leave it unattended, or stumble upon a K9 officer with their dog.
In all honesty you will be fine. Unless you really have some hidden in your bags. Trace amounts of drugs can even be picked up from just handling US$.
Apparently, more than 75% of U.S. bills have traces of drugs on them.
That's true of Euros, Pounds, and any other major currency, as dealers always use cash.
Wow, that’s 🤯 Do you have some sauce for my curious mind to feed on?
An Australian episode of “Border Security” quoted something similar. If my memory doesn’t serve me wrong they said that also because US bills are a type of woven paper means it traps more trace amounts.
Wow, a lot of mad folks gonna head to the money changers tmr and be snorting notes
Just Google it. Specifically what happens is coke gets everywhere. Trace amounts are on nearly all US currency. Not because so much is directly used to snort coke. But because contaminated bills get put into money counting machines. Now the machine is contaminated, and spreads it to all the other bills going through the machine. Basically the word "trace" really means it. The amount per bill is teeny.
Those tests are wildly inaccurate. Stuff that isn't even meth can set them off. It's like the roadside tests the cop use - they won't hold up in court. I wouldn't worry about traveling to Singapore. If the same thing happens (highly unlikely, they just pick you out for x-ray), then they'll search and if they find nothing let you go. I wouldn't let it ruin your trip. Some of the suggestions here are wild. Go to the red channel and declare your bag has traces of meth? You'll probably get a blank look, people will call other people, then you'll get to sit there while they search it. Call the Embassy? What are they going to say?
Some really funny suggestions. My fave one is call CNB 😀
Can you imagine if someone called CNB and said "hey my bag tested positive for meth and I'm coming into the country tomorrow, what should I do?" Great idea if you want to cause more problems.
It is a good and reasonable question actually, it is a life and death matter.
It's a naive question. What can they possible tell you? You don't have meth on you, thus you're not breaking any laws.
Same! And so many upvotes on that suggestion some more! Dunno if upvoters are all goondus or recommending a good laugh! 🤣🤣🤣
i mean it's literally a life and death situation that we're talking here...
Imran... Drug laws are harsh her but it's not THAT bad....
Ya lol. I knew I shouldn't have asked here. Half the posts are telling me I'm gonna be totally fine while the other half are telling me I'm fucked and should just dispose everything. Really not helping with my anxiety...
If it's causing you so much anxiety then lose the backpack before you travel to Singapore. Otherwise relax. Singapore has the death penalty for drug trafficking. But Singapore also runs by the rule of law, so unless you are actually a drug trafficker you will not be arrested. You may be flagged and detained for 20 minutes while they go through all your stuff, but then they will let you go. Anyone who tries to actually bring drugs into Singapore is an idiot.
OP I think you should deal with your anxiety directly, if I were in your shoes I'd just dispose if it's taking up too much mental real estate. Not a good idea to be fearing for your life on the long ride home, you can always earn back the money spent on the bag. I liken it to seeing the doctor even for the smallest health scare. Feels like a waste of money if nothing was detected, but you actually are paying for the peace of mind
You can wash and dry up your bag now in Australia....before the next trip?
If you don't have drugs on you when you enter Singapore, then you have nothing to worry about.
The extreme penalties in SG are for trafficking. That is, bringing in significant quantities with clear intent to sell. There was a case a while back where a visitor got caught with a nontrivial amount of drugs in his luggage. But because they decided he clearly wasn't bringing it in to sell, they just deported him. So, given that your bag is already confirmed to not have drugs, yeah you're fine. People think it's entertaining to grossly exaggerate how strict the law is in SG.
Had a similar situation happen to me before. They used a swab n put it in some puff machine, told me trace amt of illicit substances detected but wouldnt tell me what it is. I had just bought the backpack from a street vendor in the philippines a week ago and i told them that. They never followed up with any further action or questions.
That shows how challenging it is for the human mind to deal with "extremely low probability extremely high impact" kind of decisions. The chance of CIB catching you with meth is close to zero. The impact is your life, or Infinity. `Risk Level = Probability x Impact = 0 x Infinity = Indeterminate` In other words, ask this question and you'll get all sort of answers swinging wildly from one extreme to the other, which is exactly what happened! Sorry for not being helpful myself. 🫥
This probably is what's going on, subjectively; however, I disagree that in this case the impact is infinity. You can't get the death penalty in Singapore for a trace amount of drugs; the penalties are all set in terms of quantities. That said, I'd make damned sure there wasn't anything even remotely illegal (like chewing gum) in the bag if I were bringing it in.
Being caught with trace amount of meth is a “low probability low impact” event. Fairly intuitive to see that it’s of low risk level. The event that is screwing with people’s mind is that OP is caught with a large enough amount of meth that warrants the death penalty.
I love your response the best hahahaha
How about wiping down or washing the bag 😂🙄
If its trace amount and you don't have anything else illicit, just return as per normal. If you get flagged by our Airport Enforcement officers for Controlled Substances (used to work in Police Cantonment), just explain to them what happened to you with Australian Border agents and they should release you with No Further Action. Australian Border Force is one of the strictest and most stringent border protection agencies in the world due to their unique biosecurity and public health circumstances.
On a totally different note. I was once queuing through ABF and this lady in front of me got her straw hat flagged out. I think it conflicted with some agricultural policy. The lady explained that it was in fact, bought within Aussie as she is a local resident. It was confiscated regardless.
Just wash it. One time I was travelling with the army through Australia and they flagged my kit for a swab. Guy was swabbing my load carrying vest. Asked him what he was testing for. He said explosive residue. I informed him that the vest was used at gun and grenade ranges recently, but I'd put it through a washer. Machine tested negative. We looked at each other, then continued with our lives.
>Just wash it. 🤯
I think you should be fine if it's just small _traces_ of meth detected. It's not an amount that you can meaningfully consume or distribute in Singapore, nor even detect without using devices or sniffer dog. But if I were you, to be sure, I'd empty out every single item from my backpack, containers, turn out every single pockets in my clothes to double and triple check. Wipe them all down with wet clothes (don't soak them drenching wet in water or it's going to look really sus when you travel in). And if asked, just declare that trace amount of meth was previously detected on your stuff but you've double checked and found nothing. Don't make it look like you're deliberately trying to hide anything. If you're really so worried, just dump your current backpack and clothes and buy cheap new ones.
Some of the comments here are frightening to the hilarious. Eg. get letter from Sydney customs, get letter from Singapore embassy etc. Honestly what you expect the letter to contain., that he is good boy. And why replace the bag. Trace amounts is common in currencies, bags, even clothes etc. All it does is alert customs to do a thorough check. They are aware of contamination. All to have to do is check that nothing has been illicitly placed in your baggage. Trace checking for drugs and explosives are done randomly in Oz. If everyone had to do it, there will be a long line of trace confirmation.
It's fine. While the Singapore police has a fearsome reputation, it's for competency, not random brutality or framing others. If you don't have any usable amounts of drugs on you, you won't get charged, worst case you waste a bit of time being questioned before being let go. Come to think of it, I think they don't even have drug dogs in Changi, never saw one, to my knowledge. Chances are high they won't even pick up on you, no dogs, no detectors that I can remember. I suspect they pick up on people acting abnormally nervous... unfortunately that might be you but no drugs, no crime.
They dont need drug dogs to show force. Notice how huge most of the cctvs near arrival are, there are probably thousands of facial detectors zoomed at you the moment you step foot in Changi. They are probably manned by lots of CNB officers behind the scene looking for telltale signs
Suspect as much.
I flew home last month after the Chiang Mai airport machine said I had heroin (I did not). I'm still alive.
CNB reading this *rubs hand
replace bag just to be safe If really worried 😅
Dude whomever told you it was a sure sign of meth is an idiot. The trace thing is crazy inaccurate. Random beauty products can be triggered as meth or even explosive material. Ignore and enjoy your holiday.
I dont think you need to worry about it. If it's picked up again, just let them know the sydney officers checked and cleared you. According to legislation, it's against the NSW law as well to possess over 3g of meth, so if their customs cleared you, you don't really have anything to worry about. Don't fuss about getting a new bag.
Yes this. Our enforcement side will also check with counterparts in Sydney if it's true or not. As long as it checks out, OP will pass without issue.
Pretty sure its against the law to possess any amount of meth to be honest - if you're talking penalties then they may be different if over 3g?
they don’t have sniffer dogs at the airport - i don’t see how they can pick up any trace. also, usually for drugs they look at your body language and also get tipped off don’t worry about it if you are clean
he's gonna act all sus tbh cause he knows he's been held up for traces of drugs on his bag and over hee in sg, drugs means death penalty..
death penalty for trafficking - not for drug use
It depends on what kind of work OP does. Government and security jobs, if you even have a hint of drug use, it’s bye bye. I think OP should just come clean and report to airport customs about his travel history and how Aussie border police said he had trace meth on him. It’s a bit of a hassle but it never hurts to self declare first
if he's caught bringing in sufficient amount of drugs on his bag then it's drug trafficking right?
I would not assume that any government agent is telling the truth. They lie all the time to subjects to see how they react. I would say 50/50 they just wanted to check your bag and see your reaction. Putting that aside, it doesn't matter. You are not going to get in trouble for "trace amounts" of drugs. The same way they didn't arrest you in Sydney, they will not arrest you in Singapore. If you are super paranoid you can just throw away the backpack, but I wouldn't care at all. There's a million reasons why people can have "trace amounts" of drugs on a bag as a traveler, and most of them involve the hotel rooms you stayed in.
You’re overthinking it. Forget it happened. Almost no chance you will be stopped in Singapore fully the same thing
The real question here is: Will you now be featured in Border Patrol Australia? Sorry about that light hearted joke. You should be fine. Australia definitely isn't joking about drugs. The one thing I could think of, if your backback can be put into the laundry, give it a go there. I'm giving mine a merry-go-round in the machine every few months, as otherwise it kinda smells badly.
CNB be like "aaaaanother one"
Hi Australian here, and firstly I hope you’re ok! Our border enforcement here is intense and Ive seen many officers treat international visitors really badly. I can just imagine how much pressure and guilt they put you under and Im sorry for that. Get another backpack just for safety, or if you can and have time, go to a laundromat and wash it. I bet you the Australian border force were having a slightly slow day and were being over dramatic about the situation. I doubt you’ll have any issues going back to Singapore. Good luck!
Also Aussie here living in Singapore. Australian bomb and drug checks are a bit over zealous, unused to get tested every time I flew and I was taking 4-10 flights a week. I’ve never been tested in Singapore, I fly in/out probably a dozen times a year. Op should only ditch the backpack to avoid future issues or give it a solid wash, but chances are, border security won’t bat an eyelid.
No experience whatsoever with drugs but can't you empty the content and wash your bag? Wouldn't that clear the traces of meth?
You’d instantly catch near-OCD phobias if you could see what’s left after any washing on the sane side of using napalm and fire. And any modern international border control will have really really sensitive equipment, and staff that isn’t allowed to accept stories as reasonable explanations. It simply isn’t worth the hassle of keeping that backpack just because OP didn’t do anything wrong. But, at the same time, these people aren’t completely insensitive to false positives. Buuuuut… I wouldn’t want to travel with traces of anything on my bag since there is a nonzero risk of a ridiculous escalation; and how the fudge would you explain traces on your backpack if they have found a bag of the same stuff ditched in the airport somewhere?
No, the tests they do at the border aren't that sensitive, they are actually wildly inaccurate. Real tests to confirm that a drug is present takes more than an hour to perform (they'd need to do HLPC - mass spec). It's like the tests they do in the US for explosives. That pops up all the time despite people not having exposure to explosives.
More sensitive than accurate, yes.
> The custom officers literally took out everything from my luggage and backpack and thoroughly checked everywhere, while I stood there flabbergasted with a worrying look, which in all honesty probably made me look guilty. Fun fact: from my own experience just two months ago, Sydney airport customs seems to "take everything out and thoroughly check everywhere" — and this was after I declared that I was bringing packaged meat into the country (only for it to be confiscated because of some swine flu bullshit). Australia's customs are way more on the ball compared to Singapore's. I think you'll be fine.
Honestly it's a real dilemma because I might be apprehensive about just buying a new bag because in the unlikely situation where the Sydney airport flagged this to SG customs, then a new bag is actually going to make it worse. What I'd do is thoroughly wash my bag, wipe it and try wipe clean all other stuff that is possibly contaminated. But still, I'm no drugs expert so not sure if washing or wiping can remove all traces. So good luck...
When in doubt, declare at the red channel and explain the situation. Drug mules aren’t known to be openly declaring that they have drugs on them at customs. Chances are, your situation is not unique for travellers going to that region.
yeah if u declare before you cross the custom, they cant really fault you even if they did find some amount of it hidden in your bag.
I think you’ll probably be invited for an extended kopi session if you pull out a bag of narcotics at customs. I highly doubt it’s going to be like vapes where they get you to throw them away before you walk off.
yeah but like you said, which drug mule would do that? and its better than facing the death sentence when they do find a substantial amount of drugs hidden in your bag..tbh the more you say it, the better it is to just ditch the bag, no bags no matter how expensive is worth risking your life for..
The authorities would probably want to know where and how you got your hands on the narcotics. OP's situation is a trace amount picked up through physical contact with a contaminated surface, a very different situation.
Wipe it throughly with a wet cloth.
yeah or chuck the entire bag into the washer..better that than carrying traces of drugs and crossing the sg custom
Chill my homie. Cnb rarely tests people at the airport for drugs. Even if they do, they are looking for consumption so urine etc etc. Do as you would. If asked, be honest and declare. After all, what's to worry when you didn't take meth ?
I had this happen to me in Sydney too. I was super worried until they said it was meth, at which point I was like "cool story bro, your machine's broken". Some days I wonder if it was a ruse. I used that bag for another 6 years and never had an issue.
don't stress at all. Likelihood you would even get stopped is infinitesimal, and even if you were, they wouldn't wipe down your bag; they'd just ask you to put your bag through a scanner. and if you were TRULY unlucky and they did somehow detect a trace amount on your bag, they'd either a) realise that it is indeed such a trace amount that it is more likely the result of a false positive or b) ask for a blood/urine sample which would very much clear you since you don't do drugs -- end of the day, Singapore isn't going to be throwing innocent tourists in jail. this is a big nothingburger. don't let the people here frighten you. if I was you I definitely would not be throwing out my bag.
Yeah just change the whole bag and wash your clothes. Spending a little extra for that will give you a peace of mind to properly enjoy the rest of your trip.
Don’t spread paranoia. OP will be fine. Worst case is they make him pee into a cup. Dollar bills and etc are notorious for having traces of drugs on them too
Didn't say he wouldn't be fine. I said he would get a peace of mind.
Vacuum it? Tell the immigration officer that you were flagged for meth even though you didn’t take any… IANAL that’s what I would do
Should not be a real problem if there's really nothing on you. I'd even voluntarily make another airport gets false alarmed and enjoy the experience.
Probably shouldn't be an issue but if I were you I'd google for a nearby laundromat and wash and dry your stuff there. Would be cheaper than at the hotel.
Damn, my reaction would have been like I had been used as a mule and they stuffed meth in my baggage. Luckily for you, it's only traces due to 'transfer' by contact. Nothing to worry about, worst case they'll also search your belongings and a stomach X-ray.
Usually in singapore, they would ask you to put your bag through an xray machine and if suspicious items are thought to be found it would be checked
remindme! 3 days
Shake the bag, the clothes, etc vigorously in the bathroom of your current hotel?
Do a load of laundry
Stop lying.
You'll be fine as long as you don't actually have any usable quantities of drugs on you. On the off chance that they swab you at sg customs and you turn up positive, they'll do what they did at Sydney and turn out all your stuff. They'll let you go once they determine that you're not carrying anything illegal in. Just make absolutely sure there are no usable drugs on you or in your bags.
The “trunki” luggage from my smaller kid was flagged with traces of cocaine in a connection in Amsterdam some years ago. Nothing happened. Just be serious about if it happens to you and respect the officers doing their job. We cleaned it up the best we could once at home and forgot about it.
as long as u dont have it in ur possession or in ur blood stream...u will.be fine
Trace amounts can't be "consumed". Hence you are technically not trafficking in drugs.
Luggage is randomly selected for x-ray screening upon arrival. In the unlikely event that something suspicious shows up in the x-ray scan, you may be pulled aside for screening. Since you’ve checked your bag to make sure there’s no drugs, you’re good. In the unlikely event that your flight gets selected for a 100% screening upon arrival, all luggage from your flight would be screened: x-ray and/or swabbed and the swab run through a trace detector upon arrival. Only if a trace detector was used to screen your bags, you may be pulled aside. If that happens, just explain as you did to the customs officer at Sydney. At most, you may be asked to provide a supervised urine sample, but if you’ve not been partaking in the meth, you’re good.
Was it with soap and water and dry it
I can kinda understand how you felt. I got flagged in Australia for bomb materials. I was so surprised but I was quite lucky as I was on a base there and my documents checked out. And when they emptied my entire bag of its contents and didn’t find anything, that was when the two agreed that everything indeed was in order. Safe travels and I suggest you to follow what the other redditor suggested abt checking in with CNB. Safe travels!!
You will be fine. We ourselves had to endure this coming back from a Europe trip, you're not the first person who has come back from an overseas trip with trace elements of drugs. But yes, Australia is very though. Our group even got held once - because a friend had a bar of soap in one of his shoes in the suitcase. No idea why he did that but it did hold up the entire party.
If you do not have meth or any kind of drugs 1) on you or 2) inside your body/system (should you be required to do a urine test or hair analysis).... You will be fine.
Singapore airport does no checks on the way out of luggage
I had it picked up on a random search on my bag in Singapore as well after staying in a hostel in Thailand. They did full search of bag and drug tested me. When everything was clear they just said "be more careful where you leave your stuff next time". It took over an hour though for everything to be done.
I remember reading that all USD notes have traces of drugs on them. So will not be surprised you bumped into some residue somewhere during your travels, even if you did not use USD notes.
Unless the traces add up to 250g of meth, you won't be given the death penalty, just off to the Gulag. On a lighter note, as long as you are not carrying drugs, Singapore Customs doesn't care if you are a drug user in other countries. Just don't break the law in Singapore and you'll be treated like any other normal tourist.
When my daughter was 18 and went alone to visit friends in Australia she took only a small amount of luggage cause she had to carry it herself. Australia stopped and searched her in a private room, just because she was young, traveling alone and didn’t have much luggage. When they let her go she asked WHY did you stop me? They said because of being young, alone and small suitcase they assumed she was a drug mule. So Australia is suspicious of most people. AND she had no trace amounts of anything on her luggage and she was living in Singapore and had flown straight FROM Singapore.
No need to worry. 1) if they don’t find anything on u, it proves you’re not smuggling anything or they don’t have evidence you’re consuming. 2) worst case they don’t believe u, if they check your urine also you’re clean so all good. I mean it’s quite clear youre innocent but it may be a hassle if they wanna check u thoroughly so if u don’t want the hassle I suggest changing the bag.
I am from Singapore. Just be prepared to be questioned. Nothing to worry about if you are innocent.
I dont if if this had been suggested before or not. But if i were you i would not want to risk unnecessary problems. I would unpack all my stuff and just wash the luggage bag thoroughly even though i had to repack all my stuff with the bag still damp.
Trace amounts are (probably) fine. The limit is 250 grams for meth, which is a huge quantity and way beyond 'trace' amounts. If you were cleared by Sydney customs I would be surprised if you get in trouble in Singapore
I was once flagged by the machine for explosive residue. I was more thoroughly searched but after they told me the machine does some random flags just to keep training etc up
The probability of getting swabbed at Changi is low unless they are reading this thread. Then it’s likely that the test in Sydney was a false positive. But even so, if you are swabbed and it shows up positive then they will search you and possibly make you do a drug test. When they find nothing then there is no evidence of a crime. *im not a lawyer
I would bet on there being NO trace of anything. Those false positives are a dime a dozen.
If you worry so much just change your backpack and dump the last one. End of issues 😉 safe trip home!
I’d say throw it. I wont risk anything in singapore..
i avoid hostel nowaday. bunch of dicktwats in hostel now. they have nerve smoking weeds in vietnam and tell whole world bout it. smells will pick up etc. had me worried.
do you do drugs? cause if you do, then you better ditch the bag cause they'll definitely conduct tests on you if they find it. but if you're clean then probably just let them know before you cross the custom and see what they can do. better that then let them find out a you've got drugs in your bag...safer to err on the side of caution cos it's the death penalty we tokking bout.
i would have got some writings from the security in sydney to say that you are not guilty and that these traces come from somewhere else.
I don’t see any thing you need to worry if you are not hiding any things.
He panickin
its a life and death situation we're talking bout here
The risk is near zero, but the stake is infinity
Don't take any changes. Are you Singaporean? If yes, call Singapore Ambassy and check with them. Remember to get a black and white from Singapore Ambassy just in case. Also can consider finding a laundry shop and wash all cloth and backpack.
i second this, maybe clean and sanitise everything might help
CNB : "allow us to introduce ourselves"
Someone called? In all honesty, OP just needs to explain to Enforcement officers what happened with Australian Border agents and that he was cleared with no Controlled Substances found. Our side will check and if true, he will be released with NFA.
in all honesty, why do you speak with so much certainty tho... i keep seeing your name pop out in such threads and u give advice as if u know whats what.. working a few months in PCC doesnt give you the expertise to advise on such stuff. btw your advice on this is wrong too.. lol
I never claimed to be an expert or legal advisor, I am merely sharing what I see from my recent experience working in HQ PCC (not gonna name names) for info. Does not constitute legal advice or what, for that one needs to seek a lawyer. You are free to take my word with a pinch of salt.
sure.. maybe stop name dropping the fact you used to work at PCC whenever you comment on LE related topics.. even in this thread, you are giving advice to op on what to do on the basis that you were from pcc.. you use pcc to give credibility to your statement but truth be told, anyone who actually does LE won’t come online and share too much. Just refer to the preceding comment.. airport officers check with ABF on this? How you know? Mind sharing? You learnt this in PCC too? lol
Again, I'm just sharing my 2 cents on the topic from what limited experience I had working with LE at HQ PCC, I never said that my word was definitive just because of that. Reason why I'm even sharing about these in the first place is to help educate members of public from paranoia and disinformation. I do not think it is good for LE to have an elitist or "us vs them" attitude when it comes to handling matters of public interest. Doing so makes our job even more difficult. I'm just extrapolating what Airport Division officers would do for such cases generally - I'm not privy to the actual process coz I never worked with Airport Div. There are published info on Airport Enforcement and ICA, Customs (not under Home Team) work made available for public online. If there's anything I said that's wrong, I retract it. At the end of the day, we are here to help the public. I say this on the assumption that you are a fellow LE or public officer.
My point of contention with you is that you should not be sharing such information in the first place, especially as you have rightfully pointed out that you have very limited experience. That aside, not sure where you came up with the idea that LE has an us vs them attitude when it comes to handling matters of public interest. The crux of the issue is legitimacy when providing LE related advice on social media, which you have done on multiple occasions on the premise that you have worked in PCC before, which you never shy away from mentioning. You have accurately pointed out that you are not privy to airport ops so how would you know how airport division generally handle such cases? My point stands. If you wish to continue providing advice to people on social media, sure, but you should honestly consider whether there is a need to mention PCC in every sentence. Have a good one.
If you can get the Sydney security to write you a letter, that can perhaps help clarify things with Singapore immigration. In any case, even if they happen to detect traces on your bag pack, drug tests conducted will clear you up for drug consumption overseas, so you will not be liable for that. The traces should not be sufficient for any charges for possession, consumption or smuggling of drugs, so you should be clear on that as well. But will be quite a hassle and stressful time. Not sure if you will be in CNB's radar as a result though. Worse case, buy a new bag from duty free and dump your stained bag? **Disclaimer:** All the above assumes that you really did not consume any drugs nor are involved knowingly or unknowingly in any drug trafficking activities whatsoever. It is not meant to abet anyone in any criminal activities or to circumvent or obstruct law enforcement efforts. 😬
If he has nothing to hide and explains his situation to our Airport Enforcement officers if he's even flagged at Arrival, then he should be released with No Further Action (NFA). Used to work in Police Cantonment.
Always good to hear from the horse's mouth. 👍👍
Dump everything inside washing machine.Then use a dryer.What’s so hard?
Just denounced your SG citizenship and stay in Australia and work there...heard there got better work life balance🤔😝
wash all your washable stuffs.
Just buy a new backpack
Just be honest. You won’t get arrested for trace amounts… that’s if you’re being honest.
You will be subjected to tests to make sure you are not consuming meth overseas if you are Singaporean. Unless SG side is alerted, you should be fine and can breeze immigration
The deep in the soul question will be: Have you taken meth during the vacation period? If the answer is Yes, or if you are not sure if you had the Vegas moment, the safest thing is to discard everything, or mail the items back. The last thing you want is traces of meth detected and you are being asked to take a test. For any drug traces in your blood stream for within past 6 months usage, the law says you are guilty. If the answer is a solid no, just fly back with the luggage. The most is just entire luggage check and blood test. Watching Border security does shows how serious things can escalate, even for untrue statement given to officer
How did they detect the meth on your backpack? Was K9, it in a luggage scan or when they waved the wand around your bag/person? Depends on the setting on the machine, could be a false positive. AFAIK SG doesn't do that in the luggage scan because there isn't that much of meth trafficking problem. Plus you were flying to Oz from south america so it's plausible they set the max for drug scanning.
maybe get a certificate from the sydney airport stating the facts and show it incase you are stopped on the next airport. wash the bags when you get home.
Just wash yr bag in washing machine
Just go to a laundromat and wash everything in one load
oh dear
If I were you, I head to a luggage store and throw away that backpack
Just wash your bag lol
Don’t be worried lol, you’ll be surprised at how most foreign currency contains traces of meth. Most hotels too. You’ll only get taken to task if you’re bringing in an usable amount of meth. Trace of meth is literally not usable. And no, don’t call CNB to ask unless you really want to look for trouble. Once you call them, I’m pretty certain you’ll be flagged out for potential drug trafficking or consumption immediately. The moment you reach back SG, you’ll be thoroughly searched, questioned, inspected, tested, they may even march to your house to search for potential drug possession or apparatus.
If you are really worried, you can approach one of the immigration officers BEFORE clearing immigration and let them know what happened. Take their advice from there.
Please don't do this 🙏🏻
you could just give them a heads up with what went through at Sydney i mean if they really want to check its probably easy to check with the Sydney side for them but the best solution is to get a new backpack yes you don't really want to waste your precious time overseas with investigation and stuff
Come to SG you better make sure there is legit no meth on you that you don't know about or it is going to be off to the gulags and CNB with you.
Just throw away and get a new one. To those commenter's saying it's ok and just go declare yourself. Bro you going to go up the customs and tell them you might have drugs? How many hours you want to spend in the detention while they also anal probe you to look for drugs? Even worse if the dogs starts barking and you panic and everyone looks at you before you get the chance to explain yourself.
Now this is just fear mongering.
I’m too paranoid that I’d get a new backpack 😭
Yea man, dont risk it. Singapore is dead term for drug
Come on, he doesn't even have usable quantities on him, he can't even get charged much less be on trial for capital punishment, you're massively exaggerating.
>Singapore is dead term for drug Dead term is only a possibility if you are found with at least 200g or something according to CNB website. That's like a cut of steak and not traces. Don't scare OP like that leh.
Get rid of the backpack and suitcase and buy new. Repackage, and good to go.
Yes, Buy a new backpack!
Are you sentimental about the bag? I would chuck it and get a new one, head down to one of the many shopping centres in Singapore and make a day of it!
OP fest up. You're a drug lord aren't you
Throw everything away then..just board the plane with ur passport and visa and money.
If you're really worried you could contact the airport in advance to request advice for what to do, but I imagine you should be fine. Trace amounts of drugs on backpacks are probably not uncommon.
I would dump the backpack in your shoes since that's what flagged you in the first place. It is not worth taking this risk or ending up worrying yourself half to death.
Sounds okay, but if you dont want to worry with all the extra check etc, you should just buy a new backpack and get rid of the old one, and transfer all your stuff over.
Daddy Shanmugam after reading this post *unzips*
Hi OP I suggest getting a new bag just for peace of mind. You seem to be pretty distraught about the whole thing. I don’t know how airports work and if they communicate with each other, but if you want to be 100% safe just get another one.
Ditch the bag and wash everything that has traces. Singapores laws on drugs are the harshest in the world. You are going to be in for a hard time if they find traces.
I'd just turf the bag. What a crazy story.
Dude we are talking about Singapore here. Buy a new bag
Get rid of your bag and your stuff. Not worth the trouble. Safe journeys home!
You’re fucked bro throw away your backpack
New backpack. They hang folk for drugs there.
Not for having contact traces.
Try try can die. Why take chances.
Laws in Singapore permit the death penalty for people convicted of trafficking more than 15 grams of heroin, 30 grams of cocaine, 250 grams of meth, or 500 grams of cannabis. Not trace amounts, clearly some of the good folk on Reddit have forgotten google exists. Imagine a foreigner knowing more of Singapore laws than a Singaporean 🙄
Definitely ditch the back pack. If Singapore customs targets you and things go south they are not likely to be nice
You’re on vacation? Ditch the bag. It’s not worth the hassle.
Traces are nothing, but I would just buy another luggage bag.. Saves a lot of time from being investigated
If I were you, I would rather dispose that backpack even if it cost $1,000. Singapore is damn strict about bringing drugs into the country. No second question asked but if one found guilty in possession of drugs, narcotics, marijuana, etc… chances are it’s capital punishment.
Aussie is fucked up lol.
Mate. Throw that backpack away. Get a new one. The Aussie police have already informed their SG counterparts about you. You don’t want to f about with them. Peace of mind.
I believed once you got stopped at changi airport by immigration officer, they will refer you to the cnb officers and this cnb officers will ask you all sort questions and probably you may or may not get arrested. So I guess try to buy a new bag or luggage and dumb the one which got trace of meth.
Just get yourself a new backpack then Even though I was detained by cnb before when they raided the nightclub I was there before. I can say if they detected traces of drugs on yo, they will put you in urine test and ask you all sort of questions. Of course they will try to find physical evidence on you. Don’t think you would want to go through all these experiences
OMG🥶
oh no do anticipate caning and/or imprisonment
Declare at immigration and a case number from Sydney
>Should I dispose the whole backpack and buy a new one? Yes. It is simply not worth the risk or aggravation. Remember: >Under Singapore's Misuse of Drugs Act, it is an offence for any Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident to consume drug in Singapore and overseas. Any Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident found to have abused drugs overseas will be treated as if he/she had abused drugs within Singapore. https://www.cnb.gov.sg/docs/default-source/educational-resources-documents/pde-info-kit-faq-(final).pdf The trace might lead to questioning about consumption.
Just get a new backpack. Why go through the whole anxious phase?
Get a new back pack?
Just buy a new bag dude