Singapore

Singapore is an island nation of 3 million people on the southern tip of Southeast Asia on the strait between Malaysia and Sumatra. During its time as a British colony in the 19th and 20th centuries, Singapore [Page 723]developed into a major shipping port serving Asia, India, China, and Europe. It was also a major exporter of rubber, and since independence in 1965 it has become a highly industrialized modern state. Singapore takes pride in its drug laws, including the mandatory death penalty for possession of half an ounce of heroin. Singapore does not produce precursor chemicals or narcotics. It is a regional financial and transportation hub, making it attractive to drug traffickers and money launderers, and the sheer volume of trade at the port ...