Singapore’s Geylang Café Turns Into a High‑Speed Drug Drama
In a twist that could have been pulled straight from a thriller movie, Muhammad Sufyan Ruslee, a 32‑year‑old member of a clandestine Omega cult, walked into the magistrate’s office with a suitcase full of shenanigans. His sentence? 8 years 9 months in jail plus 8 cane strokes—a prison plus a punitive “button‑punch” period, all for tripping over new psychoactive substances (NPS).
What The Court Found
- Operation & Timeline: Between March and June 2019, Sufyan and three gang buddies ran a covert drug‑sell at a Geylang coffee shop. The operation was a mini‑café of crime.
- Illegal Ingredient: The gang smuggled a synthetic cannabinoid called 5‑fluoro‑MDMB‑PICA (think “mushroom” or “butterfly”). It’s a Class A drug that gives users a high that’s all too similar to ordinary cannabis.
- Recruitment: Sufyan was “recruited” by 45‑year‑old Hermanto Abdul Talib in March 2019 after the youngster expressed a desire for a better paycheck.
- Day‑to‑Day Duties: He collected drugs from supplier Yunos daily, then slid them into boxes on two bicycles parked outside the coffee shop.
- Sales Force: 41‑year‑old Shafie Osman and 53‑year‑old Fadilah Haron were the front‑line salesmen, dealing 20‑30 customers each day for US$60‑$70 per packet.
- Profit & Penalty: Sufyan reportedly earned a cool US$20,000 from the scheme. On 16 July 2019, a Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) raid seized 60 drug packets, leading to his arrest.
- Other Convicts: Hermanto received a 11½‑year jail term, 8 cane strokes, and a $20,000 fine in September 2021. Shafie and Fadilah also got jail sentences, fines, and canes for other Organised Crime Act violations.
Judge’s Handicaps
When Sufyan pleaded for a deferment to Feb 3, 2023 (to “settle family matters”), Senior District Judge Ong Hian Sun gave the green light.
Legal Limits
- Class A Trafficking: Up to 20 years in jail + 15 cane strokes.
- NPS Possession: Up to 10 years in jail + US$20,000 fine.
And that, Singaporeans, ends the saga of a coffee‑shop‑turned‑crime‑hub. It’s a clear reminder that folks who think running a “café” means selling cookies can end up with a very different menu on their legal check‑in list.
