Leadership change: Mr Ng Boon Gay (right), 44, willtake over from Mr Ng Seng Liang, 59, next Friday.

By Rachel Chan

A CHANGE-OF-COMMAND ceremony was held at the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) yesterday to mark a change in directorship at the drug enforcement agency.

Mr Ng Seng Liang, 59, director of CNB, will officially retire next Friday and pass the baton to Mr Ng Boon Gay, 44, currently the director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The elder Ng has served in the Ministry of Home Affairs for the past 35 years, with the last six as CNB's director.

One of CNB's better-known achievements under his directorship was getting Subutex - which was used from 2002 to help heroin addicts quit, but gained addicts of its own - listed as a controlled drug in the Misuse of Drugs Act in 2006.

The younger Ng, who is also Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police, joined the force 19 years ago when he was awarded a Local Merit Scholarship from the Public Service Commission.

He was appointed director of CID in April 2008, and has overseen the busting of many loan-shark syndicates and the arrest of close to 2,000 offenders in the last two years.

rachchan@sph.com.sg

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