Escaping the gallows: Muhammad Nur Arif was found to be distributing cannabis weighing 1900.9g in the parking lot of a supermarket in 2020. — Bernama
SEREMBAN: A former university student has been sentenced to 30 years in jail and 12 strokes of the cane by the High Court here for trafficking nearly 2kg of cannabis four years ago.
Justice Rohani Ismail handed down the sentence on Muhammad Nur Arif Nur Akil, 26, after hearing submissions from the prosecution and defence, and ordered the jail term to run from the date of arrest on Sept 2, 2020.
“Previously, the court found you guilty and convicted you under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act.“After considering the mitigation appeal presented through your lawyer and the aggravating factors raised by the prosecution, I have decided to impose a 30-year jail sentence from the date of arrest and 12 strokes,” she said.
According to the charge, Muhammad Nur Arif, who was then a student at a private university in Selangor, was found trafficking cannabis weighing 1,900.9g in the parking lot of a supermarket in this district at around 5.30pm on Sept 2, 2020.
The offence was committed under Section 39B (1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act and punishable under Section 39B (2) of the same Act.A total of 10 witnesses were called to the stand throughout the trial, which commenced on April 10, 2023.
Earlier, lawyer Shah Rizal Abdul Manan appealed to have a prison sentence imposed on his client, taking into account his young age and his promising future upon release, as well as the fact that this was his first offence.
However, deputy public prosecutor Ala’uddin Baharom sought the death penalty, taking into account public interest, preventive factors, punishment and the offence in the case.
“This is a case of trafficking and it can be proven directly without any presumption.
“Whether it is a soft or high drug, it does not matter because the negative effects will remain the same.
“That is why the country prohibits all drug-related activities unless licensed. In this case, the accused is a university student and should be aware of the consequences and effects of involvement in drugs,” he said.
