TO some he is known as 'the postman'. Others simply call him 'the doctor'.
Why 'postman'? Not because he delivers the mail, but because he sits and sleeps all afternoon near the letter boxes at Block 37 Chai Chee Avenue.
Why 'doctor'? Because he dishes out sleeping pills - when he is not asleep himself.
Even noisy children at a playground about 10m away do not seem to disrupt his afternoon naps.
He wakes up only for the occasional passer-by who approach him seeking Dormicum pills, a sedative which cannot be bought without a doctor's prescription.
The heavily-tattooed man, believed to be in his 20s, would straighten up and fish blue tablets from his pouch in exchange for money.
This all happens within a minute. The man would then go back to sleep.
Four residents The New Paper spoke to regarded the man as more of a nuisance than a danger. They were unaware of his 'other' activities.
But two other residents were concerned by his pill-peddling activity and that this tattooed 'doctor' could turn violent.
A sixth-floor resident of Block 37, who gave her name only as Josephine, said: 'It's very strange. Why not sleep on a proper bed at home? He looks 'high' and would sleep all day with his back against the letter boxes.
'How do you expect us to collect our mail without waking him up?
'I know some residents who would collect their letters later if the man is sleeping there.'
The New Paper was tipped off by a caller, who gave her name as Ms Teo. She said she hoped this newspaper would alert the authorities about the neighbourhood 'pharmacist'.
The former Chai Chee Avenue resident said she was alerted to this man by friends: 'What upsets me is that this guy doesn't care about how he is doing his business in the open.'
Ms Teo, 26, said the man sold Dormicum - a sleeping pill often abused by Subutex addicts.
Subutex, a controlled drug used to wean addicts off heroin, is often mashed with Dormicum and injected into the blood stream.
A single Dormicum pill from the man costs $6, she said.
But the sleeping pill is not the only 'quick fix' sold there.
TWO'S COMPANY: The man with a friend who came to visit him at the void deck.
Ms Teo said another man, who walks with a limp, sells Erimin 5, also a sedative, from a coffee shop next to the letter boxes.
He, too, carries a pouch, she said.
Ms Teo added: 'My friends have shown me the blue Dormicum pills which they had bought from the man. I told them they can be caught (by the authorities) for buying the pills.
'Some people consume the pills on the spot and throw the empty slabs (aluminum foil wrapper) on the floor. I have seen some students buying pills from him, too. They (the students) usually send a representative while others wait at the playground or basketball court.'
From what we have observed since 20 Aug, the man appears to work with an older partner who looks to be in his 40s.
Supplier on bicycle
The older man will ride up to the 'doctor' on his bicycle and make a delivery once every afternoon.
The 'doctor' then starts his 'shift' at about 1pm usually.
In a four-hour period on a Friday afternoon, we saw 15 passers-by discreetly buying pills from the man.
When it rains, the man will 'close shop' and head home, which is believed to be near Block 30.
At least two residents know about his activities but they have not made a police report.
One resident, a student who said his name is Firdaus, 22, said: 'You just can't tell this type of people to leave.
'This is an old estate where most people just don't want trouble. You never know if he would turn violent if you try talking to him. I'm sure his friends are nearby to keep a watch for him should the authorities appear.'
A spokesman for the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) told The New Paper that, given the possible involvement of illegal drug syndicates, the authority would work with the Central Narcotics Bureau and the police to look into illegal activities in the area.
HSA warned that it is dangerous to buy or consume any products which are supplied by dubious sources, such as street peddlers.
These products are likely to be manufactured illegally with no quality control. They may contain wrong ingredients or toxic substances.
The dangers are even higher for prescription-only medicine which need to be taken under medical supervision, HSA said.
'Members of public should buy from licensed sources such as registered clinics and approved pharmacies. When in doubt, they should consult a doctor or pharmacist prior to self-medication,' the spokesman added.
This article was first published in The New Paper on Sep 5, 2008.
