Jamaliah Yacab, 24, and Maryati Sipon, 27, faced a capital charge as the amount of heroin came to 16.53g.

Jamaliah Yacab, 24, and Maryati Sipon, 27, faced a capital charge as the amount of heroin came to 16.53g. FOR $300 each, two women risked their lives to help smuggle in 2.5kg of heroin-laced powder. The prosecution amended the charge to trafficking at least 14.99g of heroin and they pleaded guilty on Monday. The court was not told why the amount of heroin was reduced. Anyone convicted of trafficking in more than 15g of heroin is hanged. Deputy Public Prosecutor Ng Cheng Thiam told the High Court that the heroin was hidden in a box of detergent among other household items brought in through the Woodlands Checkpoint by Jamaliah, a Malaysian, at 5.30pm on Dec 31, 2007. While Jamaliah carried the drugs, Maryati, a Singaporean, was the money mule.
According to court documents, a ringleader met Maryati at a coffee shop near the Lavender MRT station early that day. He allegedly handed her $30,500 and instructed her to convert it into Malaysian ringgit and to give it to a man, known only as Boy Cino, in Johor Baru (JB). For this task, she received $300. She handed the RM69,690 to Boy Cino at about noon at a taxi stand at City Square in JB. She then returned to Singapore. Two hours later, Boy Cino arranged for Jamaliah to meet him in JB. He gave her RM400 and the plastic bags containing detergent and other items. When she delivered these to 42-year-old Kharul Anwar Zaini that evening, she got another $50. The women, who will be sentenced in two weeks time, face a minimum jail term of 20 years. The maximum is a life sentence. They are spared the mandatory 15 strokes of the cane.

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Azaha Abd Rani,Zainun Mohd Noor couple with four children, three of whom are below 16 years, was sentenced to death by the High Court in Malaysia

A couple with four children, three of whom are below 16 years, was sentenced to death by the High Court hereThursday for heroin trafficking five years ago.
High Court Justice Ahmad Maarop also convicted them of possession of the narcotic and sentenced them to 15 years to jail, from their date of arrest in 2003, which they are to serve before their execution.
Justice Ahmad, now a Court of Appeal Justice, however, granted them a stay on the death sentence pending an appeal.
Azaha Abd Rani, 49, and his wife Zainun Mohd Noor, 42, both from Kelantan, were composed and unfazed when Justice Ahmad Maarop read out the verdict.
However, Azaha grasped his wife 's left hand when leaving the dock after the sentencing.“Based on our country’s law, it is a mandatory death sentence for those convicted of drug trafficking and it’s our (court) responsibility to mete out the death penalty,” said Justice Ahmad.The court also noted that Azaha, a taxi driver, had given a sworn statement while Zainun chose to remain silent without calling any witnesses in her defence.
The couple were charged under Section 39B (1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act and Section 12 (2) of the same act for trafficking and being in possession of heroin, respectively.They were convicted of distributing 12.25g of heroin on December 7, 2003, in front of BP petrol kiosk in Kampung Jabi, Besut.They were also convicted of being in possession of 9.57g of heroin on the same date, time and area. Earlier in mitigation, defence counsel Aziz Derasi appealed to the court for a lighter sentence in viewof the fact that the offence was their first and they were parents to four children aged 24 years, 15 years, 11 years, and nine years.
But the Deputy Public Prosecutor Othman Abdullah argued that there was only one sentence reserved for cases under Section 39B and that was the death penalty.

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Both cases have been classified as trafficking under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which carries the mandatory death sentence

The man, in his 30s, was waiting for his customer to collect the 1.46kg of No. 4 heroin when a narcotics team raided his room after a tip-off at 3pm on Thursday.
The four slabs of high-grade heroin, which is 99.9% pure, could be processed into No. 3 heroin which is the type taken by drug addicts. Each kilogram could be processed into 10 times the original amount.
State deputy police chief Senior Asst Comm I Datuk Salleh Mat Rasid said the man, an international drug trafficking syndicate member, had no record of any previous arrests.
"We are now looking for his accomplices. He has since been remanded pending questioning into the source of the heroin.
"We also seized his car, a branded wristwatch, an assortment of jewellery and cash amounting to over RM70,000 obtained from the sales of drugs," he told a press conference on Monday.
Also present at the conference were state Narcotics Department chief Supt R.S.S. Batumalai and his deputy DSP Ismail Idris.
On Sunday, a local man and a Vietnamese woman, also in their 30s, were nabbed with an assortment of drugs worth RM85,000 at another hotel in Penang Road.
SAC Salleh said 2.1kg of ketamine, 835 amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS) pills such as Erimin 5 and Yaba, and small amounts of heroin and syabu were recovered in their room.Police believe they have crippled an international drug syndicate with the arrest of a man and seizure of heroin weighing 1.46kg, valued at about RM1 million, during a raid here on Thursday.
Penang deputy police chief Datuk Salleh Mat Rasid said in the 3pm raid at a hotel along Jalan Penang here, a combined team from the Federal Police and Penang Narcotics departments detained a man and seized the third grade heroin.
"The heroin can fetch a market price of almost a million Ringgit after processing. It was hidden in a toy box," he told reporters here today.
The man, in his 30s, is believed to be a member of an international drug syndicate and was using the hotel as his distribution base.
He was said to be was waiting for customers from a neighbouring country when police spoiled the party.
Police also seized some money, a car and jewellery altogether worth RM70,117.84. The man has been remanded until Jan 31. The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

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K. Nanda Kumar , M. Poobalan to hang

K. Nanda Kumar and M. Poobalan, both 31, were found guilty of trafficking the drugs in front of a hotel in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, at about 8pm on Aug 24, 2002.
Police arrested the accused after a raid in front of the hotel on the same night.
The two also had a meeting with an undercover police officer where they discussed a drug deal prior to the arrest.
Their offence was classified under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 152 and the sentence was under Section 39B(2) of the same act, which carries the maximum death sentence.
The defence raised the issue that the drugs were brought to the crime scene in a lorry by someone else.
Both accused had denied any involvement in the drug deal.
Nanda Kumar, in a black collared shirt, and Poobalan, in a grey shirt, were teary eyed when the verdict was read.
High Court Judicial Commissioner Datuk Zawawi Salleh said the court found all elements in the charge conclusive, especially the meeting prior to the arrest.
"The explanations given by the accused were only mere denial.
"The court is satisfied that both accused committed the offence and therefore I find them guilty and sentence them to death by hanging," he said.
During mitigation after the verdict and sentence were read, Deputy Public Prosecutor Husmin Hussin told the court that the maximum sentence was justified as it was in the interest of the public.
"Though the drugs were not potent enough compared to other drugs, the amount is a different matter.
"It would involve a lot of people and would be a threat to society at large if it was let loose into the market," he said.
Meanwhile defence counsel Norman Fernandez, who was representing Poobalan, said both accused were only 26, when committing the offence and both were the sole breadwinners for their respective families.
"They are only first-time offenders and there is no statement indicating that they are involved in a drug syndicate.
"The desperate plight of their families forced them to get involved in this matter," he said, adding that both regretted their actions and were also deeply remorseful.
Fernandez also said that he would file an appeal against the decision at the Court of Appeals on behalf of Poobalan.
Defence counsel K. Gnanasegaran, who was representing the other accused, was not present in court.

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Baha Jambol

Baha Jambol, 45, was commuted to an 18-year jail term and 12 strokes of the cane, the state Bernama news agency said.
"All praise to God," a grateful Baha said to the media after the appeals court made the decision.
The former fish and vegetable vendor has already served nine years on death row, and reductions to the sentence mean he will be free in December next year, Bernama said.

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The charge of trafficking carries the mandatory death sentence

Razali Ahmad, 33, of Gombak, was found guilty of trafficking in 858gm of cannabis which was found in his sling bag in a house in Jalan Dewan Gombak Setia, Gombak,Judicial Commissioner Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim ruled that the prosecution had failed to cast a doubt on the prosecution’s case.
The charge of trafficking carries the mandatory death sentence.
The prosecution called eight witnesses while Razali was the only witness for the defence.
Razali was represented by counsel James George while deputy public prosecutor Shoba Venu Gobal appeared for the prosecution.

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