The chemicals are restricted as they are believed to be used as “precursor chemicals” for manufacturing synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine. They have been listed under the Customs (Prohibition of Imports) (Amendment) Order 2026 and Customs (Prohibition of Exports) (Amendment) Order 2026. He said a range of chemicals commonly exploited by drug syndicates to manufacture illicit narcotics have been identified. “These include processing drugs in local clandestine laboratories or exporting the chemicals to other countries as part of an international production network. “Such strategies are not merely reactive but focused on upstream intervention to dismantle syndicates before drugs are produced and distributed,” he said.

Source: The Star January 17, 2026 23:26 UTC