Elderly woman, three men charged with drug trafficking, possession in Pontian

PONTIAN: An elderly woman and three men were charged in a Magistrate's Court here Wednesday (May 15) for drug possession and trafficking.

Chan Ah Moi, 75, Chan Chui Lai, 59, Tan Chee Seong, 50, and Lim Huang Kin, 40, were charged before Magistrate Nur Azzuin Abdul Moati.

For the drug trafficking charges, Ah Moi, Chui Lai, Chee Seong and Huang Kin were jointly charged with three counts each, two counts involving methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) weighing 23,572.74g and 532.59g, respectively, and the third count, involving 362.02g of cannabis.

They were charged with committing the offence in a house in Kukup Laut, near here, at 1.30am on May 4.

Chui Lai, who is the younger brother of Ah Moi, faced another charge of trafficking MDMA, weighing 1,638.81g, at the same place and time.

No plea was recorded from all of them for the drug trafficking charges.

The charges were framed under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which provides the death penalty or life imprisonment and if not sentenced to death, shall be punished with at least 12 strokes of the cane, if found guilty.

All of them, however, pleaded not guilty to a charge of possessing 232.6g of ketamine, framed under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act which provides a fine of not more than RM100,000 or a maximum imprisonment of five years or both, upon conviction.

Chui Lai also pleaded not guilty to another charge of possessing 275g of the Nimetazepam drug at the same place and time.

No bail was offered and the court fixed July 21 for mention.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurezzati Zaini appeared for the prosecution, while all the accused were unrepresented. - Bernama