KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — The High Court has sentenced three men to life imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane after they were found guilty of trafficking 32 kg of drugs six years ago.
Judge Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid handed down the sentence after finding that the defence failed to raise a reasonable doubt against tow truck drivers S. Uvaraja, 48, and R. Kalaikumar, 40, and lorry driver K. Paarthiban, 38, at the end of the defence case.
"The court ordered the three accused to be jailed from the date of arrest on June 18, 2019," he said.
The trio were charged with jointly trafficking 32,682.4g (32 kg) of methamphetamine in a car park of a condominium in Jalan Desa Pandan at 5.35pm on June 18, 2019.
The charge is under Section 39B (1) (a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which is punishable under Section 39B (2) of the same act and read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, provides for the death penalty or life imprisonment and if not sentenced to death, the accused can be sentenced to not less than 12 strokes of the cane.
Judge Azhar also sentenced Uvaraja to two years in prison after being found guilty on two counts of possessing 0.15g of methylenedioxymethamphetamine and 0.003g of heroin, as well as 0.007g of monoacetylmorphine, at the same location and date.
The offence is under Section 12 (2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and is punishable under Section 12 (3) of the same act, which provides for a maximum fine of RM100,000 or imprisonment not exceeding five years or both.
In today's proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Ahmad Hijrah Wan Abdullah handled the case, while lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah represented the three accused.
— Bernama
