KUALA TERENGGANU: Police have arrested a lawyer for allegedly abetting an inmate in smuggling drugs into Marang Prison.
Terengganu police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Khairi Khairudin said the 32-year-old man was arrested at 10.45am on Monday (Dec 29) along Jalan Hiliran in Pulau Kambing near here.
He said the suspect was believed to have helped in the smuggling of drugs into the prison on Dec 23 through a male inmate, who was also his client, after a trial at the High Court here.
"After the trial, the inmate was taken back to Marang Prison and instructed to undergo an examination using a body scanner.
"During the examination, prison authorities detected foreign objects in the inmate’s body and sent him to the prison clinic for monitoring," DCP Khairi told a press conference at state police contingent headquarters here on Thursday (Jan 1).
DCP Khairi said the inmate was then taken to the Merchang Health Clinic in Marang for further examination before being taken back to the prison clinic.
He said prison authorities recovered 123g of Yaba pills, 21g of cannabis and 13g of Erimin 5, worth RM16,000, within two days after the inmate expelled the drugs.
According to DCP Khairi, the drugs recovered could supply some 800 addicts.
"Following that, prison authorities lodged a police report at the Marang district police headquarters, and the case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
"The lawyer has been remanded for six days until Jan 4 to assist in investigations under Section 107(c) of the Penal Code (for abetment)," he added.
DCP Khairi also said police were seeking public help to locate a woman identified as Nurul Norasikin Aladin, 30, a housewife from Kampung Batin, Seberang Takir, to facilitate the investigation.
He said apart from the drug case, the lawyer was also being investigated under Section 348 of the Penal Code in connection with a wrongful confinement and extortion case at a workshop in Paka, Dungun, on Dec 8.
DCP Khairi said the victim, a businessman, claimed to have been wrongfully confined by a debt collector and allegedly forced to hand over five cars, a motorcycle and a land grant after defaulting on an investment debt of RM353,000, before being released the following day.
He said the victim subsequently sought legal advice from the lawyer on Dec 15.
"The suspect (the lawyer) then contacted the debt collector, and after discussions, the victim was asked to pay RM9,000 to reclaim one of his cars," he said.
DCP Khairi said investigations were being carried out to obtain information on the debt collector’s agent and the condition of the victim’s other vehicles. – Bernama
