Court of Appeal Upholds Conviction of Five Indian Nationals for Drug Trafficking
Putrajaya, May 2024
A three-member Court of Appeal bench has ruled that there is no merit in the appeal by five Indian nationals against their High Court conviction in 2023. The five, Radhakrishnan Syam, Fazril Farook, Sainulabdeen Siyad, Abdul Kalam Sajeev, and Salim Sabeer, were found guilty of drug trafficking at a plantation in Rantau, Negeri Sembilan, seven years ago.
Background of the Case
The five were charged under Section 39B(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for committing a preparatory act for trafficking dangerous drugs. Two charges were framed against them as they were also found with about 1.5kg of methamphetamine and 2.7kg of ketamine.
The Arrest and Investigation
According to the facts of the case, the five were arrested in connection with a suspected illegal methamphetamine laboratory located deep in an oil palm plantation near Rantau town at about 6.30pm on August 3, 2018. A police raid was first conducted on August 3 at a Hindu temple, where Radhakrishnan was arrested with another person while filling a container on a pick-up truck with water. They led a police party to the plantation, where police arrested four others in a fenced-up area used as a laboratory to manufacture drugs.
Various apparatus such as a weighing scale, a plastic bag sealer, heating devices, and plastic and glass containers of various descriptions were also found. A subsequent police investigation showed that the land where the activities took place belonged to a local who leased it to another person.
Court of Appeal Ruling
Justice Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim, who chaired the three-member bench, said there was no merit in the appeal by the five Indian nationals against their High Court conviction in 2023. The court allowed the death penalty to be substituted with a jail term beginning from August 3, 2018. The five were sentenced to 30 years’ jail and ordered to be given 12 strokes of the rotan for each count. The two jail terms will run concurrently, meaning they will serve 30 years. In addition, they will be whipped 24 times, the maximum allowed under the law.
Deputy Public Prosecutor and Defense Counsel
Deputy public prosecutor Noorhisham Jaafar appeared for the prosecution, while lawyer Sharonpal Singh represented the five men.
Conclusion
The conclusion of the Court of Appeal’s ruling brings an end to the legal proceedings of the five Indian nationals, who will now serve 30 years in prison for their role in drug trafficking at a plantation in Rantau, Negeri Sembilan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What was the crime committed by the five Indian nationals?
A: They were found guilty of drug trafficking at a plantation in Rantau, Negeri Sembilan, seven years ago.
Q: What charges were brought against them?
A: They were charged under Section 39B(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for committing a preparatory act for trafficking dangerous drugs.
Q: What was the punishment meted out to them?
A: They were sentenced to 30 years’ jail and ordered to be given 12 strokes of the rotan for each count. The two jail terms will run concurrently, meaning they will serve 30 years. In addition, they will be whipped 24 times, the maximum allowed under the law.