KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- Two men were sentenced to 30 years in prison and 12 strokes of the cane by the High Court here today after being found guilty of trafficking 139 kilogrammes 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 prosecution had proven the case beyond reasonable doubt at the end of the defence case.
The court ordered the prison sentence for both accused to run from the date of their arrest on May 31, 2022.
According to the charge, both men were jointly accused of trafficking 139,019.3 grammes of dangerous drugs, namely cannabis, at a shopping centre car park in Bangsar here at 2 pm on May 31, 2022.
The charge was framed under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and punishable under Section 39B(2) of the same Act, read with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which provides for the death penalty or life imprisonment and, if the death penalty is not imposed, whipping of not less than 12 strokes.
Based on the facts of the case, police conducting surveillance at the shopping centre saw both accused transferring several bags and plastic packets from a Toyota Vellfire into a Proton Preve.
During the raid, Ahmad Shamil managed to flee in the Toyota Vellfire before being arrested nearby and brought back to the scene.
A search of the Toyota Vellfire found no drugs, but a further inspection of the Proton Preve uncovered the illicit substance placed in the rear passenger area.
Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor Zaileen Nadia Zubir sought a 30-year prison sentence and 12 strokes of the cane for both accused, taking into account the 139-kilogramme quantity of drugs, which she described as a large amount.
However, lawyer Mohamed Yazzer Azzad Zainudin, representing Mohan, asked the court to consider the minimum prison term, taking into account the period his client had been in custody since May 2022 and that the accused had repented.
Meanwhile, lawyer Muhammad Faiz Fadzil, representing Ahmad Shamil, also asked the court to consider the imprisonment term on similar grounds.
-- BERNAMA