SINGAPORE - The authorities, acting on a tip-off, have arrested two Singaporean men and three foreign women for alleged drug and duty-unpaid cigarette activities.

In a raid on two houses, officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and Singapore Customs seized 1,112 cartons and eight packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes, amounting to $102,720 in unpaid goods and services tax.

They also found 19g of Ice, 3g of vegetable matter suspected to contain new psychoactive substances, a small amount of ketamine, 36 Ecstasy tablets, and drug equipment.

Cash worth $52,510 was also seized.

The raid began on May 30 at a house in Jalan Sayang, where a 47-year-old Singaporean man is alleged to have bought the cigarettes from an unknown man for resale.

Parked on the house's premises was a Singapore-registered van driven by a 36-year-old Singaporean man. The officers later found cartons of cigarettes in the van and pinpointed the driver as the deliveryman for the cigarettes.

Officers then searched the driver's house, confiscated the van, and arrested both Singaporean men.

The three foreign women arrested are aged 33, 35 and 38.

The CNB and Singapore Customs did not reveal their nationalities or say how they are connected to the men.

Singapore Customs said those with information on smuggling activities or evasion of customs duty or GST can call it on 1800-233-0000.

Those with information on drug activities can call CNB on 1800-325-6666.

Those who buy, sell, deliver, store, or otherwise deal with duty-unpaid goods can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both. The trafficking, manufacture, import or export, possession, and consumption of controlled drugs is also a crime.