Two Deliverymen Jailed 30 Years, Given 12 Strokes for Trafficking 139kg of Cannabis
KUALA LUMPUR: Two deliverymen were sentenced to 30 years in prison and 12 strokes of the cane by the High Court here today after being convicted of trafficking 139 kilogrammes (kg) of cannabis four years ago.
Judge Datuk Mohd Arief Emran Arifin imposed the sentence on S Mohan, 38, and Ahmad Shamil Abdul Rashid, 28, after finding that the defence had failed to raise reasonable doubt at the end of the defence case.
The judge also ordered the prison sentences to run from the date of their arrest on May 31, 2022.
According to the charge, the two men were jointly accused of trafficking 139kg of cannabis at the car park of a shopping mall in Bangsar here at 2pm on May 31, 2022.
The offence was charged under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, punishable under Section 39B(2) of the same Act and read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.
The provision carries the death penalty or life imprisonment and no fewer than 12 strokes of the cane upon conviction.
According to the facts of the case, the two accused were arrested by police officers from the Selangor Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department while handling and transferring several plastic bags containing drugs from a Toyota Vellfire to a Proton Preve at the shopping mall car park.
In mitigation, lawyer Mohamed Yazzer Azzad Zainudin, representing Mohan, asked the court to consider a prison sentence for his client, taking into account the period he had been in custody since May 31, 2022.
He said Mohan regretted the incident, was unmarried and had a 57-year-old mother as a dependant.
Meanwhile, lawyer Muhammad Faiz Fadzil, representing Ahmad Shamil, also asked the court to take into account the period his client had been in custody since 2022 when determining the prison term.
He said he hoped the prison sentence would give the accused an opportunity to reform and lead a better life in the future.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Zaileen Nadia Zubir sought a sentence of 30 years in prison and 12 strokes of the cane for each accused, taking into account the seriousness of the offence and the large quantity of drugs involved, amounting to 139kg.
Berita Harian