CNB head Sam Tee to step down, take over as director of CPIB from September
CNB's current deputy director of operations, Leon Chan Liang Hua, will be appointed acting director from Sep 1.
The director of the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) Tee Chong Fui Sam will take over as director of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) from Sep 1. (File photo: TODAY/Leonard Leong)
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SINGAPORE: The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) will get a new director from Sep 1.
Mr Tee Chong Fui Sam, the current head of the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), will succeed Mr Denis Tang, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said on Wednesday (Aug 7).
Mr Tang, who is on secondment to the bureau, has served as director of CPIB since Oct 1, 2018.
He will be returning to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Mr Tee was appointed to the role by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, with advice from Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, said PMO.
The Senior Assistant Commissioner of police joined the force in 1994.
"In the course of his career, he has held several senior appointments in the Home Team, including Commander of the Airport Police Division, and Traffic Police, and was also Senior Director of the Joint Operations Group in the Ministry of Home Affairs Headquarters," noted PMO.
It added that Mr Tee also led CNB to "successfully keep Singapore’s drug situation under control, arresting and investigating many traffickers and dismantling many drug syndicates, including overseas ones with the help of foreign partners".
MHA said in a separate statement that Mr Tee, 54, was appointed director of CNB in November 2022.
"He enhanced upstream preventive education and engagement efforts to combat the growing liberal attitude towards drug use among youths, and raise awareness of the harms of drugs in the wider community," said the ministry.
Under his leadership, CNB also rolled out many initiatives including the inaugural Drug Victims Remembrance Day in May 2024.
ACTING DIRECTOR OF CNB
CNB's current deputy director of operations, Leon Chan Liang Hua, will be appointed acting director of the bureau from Sep 1.
He will concurrently remain in his current post, a position he has held since June 2021.
The 43-year-old oversees all of CNB’s operational divisions as well as its psychological unit.
"Mr Chan has been overseeing the use of new technology to enhance CNB operations, such as the deployment of saliva test kits which allows CNB officers to detect drug abuse more efficiently during operations," said MHA.
He has also been responsible for the pilot of CNB’s "Supervision 2.0", which enhances the bureau's effectiveness in supervising former drug abusers, and also includes initiatives like hair testing for drug detection so as to reduce the disruption to supervisees’ lives.
