20 from Tawau 'wild party' charged with drug abuse

Twenty individuals, including a pair of sisters, a single mother and three Indonesians who were arrested during a raid on a ‘wild party’ at a house here two days ago were produced in the Magistrate’s Court today to face drug charges.

The eight women and 12 men, aged between 21 and 31, nodded to indicate they understood the charge read to them before Magistrate Dzul Elmy Yunus. However, no plea was recorded pending a chemist report.

Based on the charge sheet, 19 from the group were charged with administering methamphetamine, ketamine and amphetamine into their bodies while one other male accused was charged with administrating both methamphetamine dan amphetamine into his body.

All of them were accused of committing the offence at the Tawau District Police Headquarters Narcotics Crime Investigation Department between 1.35 pm on June 30 and 11.30 am on July 1.

They were charged under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which carries a jail term of up to two years or fine of up to RM5,000, if convicted.

Dzul Elmy allowed bail of RM1,800 for 17 of them with two sureties and set Aug 4 and 11 for remention of the case.

The three Indonesian nationals - Kimberly Henrikus, 24, Abdul Sidi Mulpy, 29 and Mohd Iqbal Japar, 22 - however, were not offered bail and the court fixed Aug 11 for case remention.

The three men were also fined RM1,000 each in 30 days imprisonment after pleading guilty to violating the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) at the same court. They were charged with committing the offence at house number TB 1734 Taman Nordin, Tawau, on June 30 at 8.30 am.

The 17 locals had already been compounded RM1,000 on the day of their arrests for the same offence.

Dzul Elmy said the country was still subjected to the RMCO until Aug 31, and pointed out how the Health director-general had stated that if COVID-19 cases were to rise, there was a possibility the Movement Control Order (MCO) could be reintroduced.

“Others are looking for jobs to earn a living, here you are socialising. Take this episode as a lesson and let’s all pray we are able to contain the risk of (COVID-19) infection,” he said.

The prosecution was conducted by Prosecution Officer ASP Dayang Nur Azarinawaty Awang Kachee while all of the accused were unrepresented.

-- BERNAMA