Ex-CNB officer admits to stealing nearly $1,300 from two detained men

A Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) investigation officer (IO) misappropriated nearly $1,300 in total from two men who had been arrested earlier.

After that, Muhammad Fayyaz Helmi, 29, forged CNB-issued acknowledgement documents to make it appear as though the two, referred to as V1 and V2 in court documents, received their belongings later.

On Oct 27, he pleaded guilty to one count each of criminal breach of trust, forgery and obstructing the course of justice.

He resigned from the CNB in May 2024.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jheong Siew Yin told the court that Fayyaz was one of the IOs handling 72-year-old V1's case in April 2022.

V1 had been taken into custody on April 12, and more than $900 in cash and two mobile phones were seized.

He was admitted to a drug rehabilitation centre for a year in June 2022, and was later placed in a halfway house.

DPP Jheong said that Fayyaz pocketed V1's money in November 2023.

On or around Jan 9, 2024, Fayyaz returned the two seized mobile phones to V1, who signed a CNB-issued acknowledgement slip indicating that he had received the devices.

But when V1 asked Fayyaz about the cash, the younger man replied that the amount was handled by another CNB officer, and promised that he would try to locate the money

V1 later told the chairman of the halfway house about the matter, and the latter contacted CNB, the court heard.

DPP Jheong said: "It was only then that the accused, intending to obstruct the court of justice, sought out V1 at his workplace and (handed) him a sum of $950.

"In addition, the accused also forged a CNB-issued acknowledgement slip to reflect that V1 had received...(more than $900 in cash) on Jan 9, 2024, when V1 had not."

Fayyaz also committed similar offences involving V2, a 27-year-old man.

Among other things, he misappropriated more than $360 of V2's money in January 2024 and transferred $400 to him two months later.

The DPP said: "On April 1, 2024... he instructed V2 to lie that the latter's seized property had been returned to him on Jan 17, 2024, and to refrain from revealing to anyone that V2's personal properties had not in fact been returned to him (in January)."

On April 5 that year, another CNB officer made a police report against Fayyaz over his offences.

Fayyaz was arrested later that day and was charged in court in January 2025. He will be sentenced in November.