Brothers among five charged with drug trafficking

TAPAH: Five men including two brothers were charged in the Magistrate's Court here today with trafficking more than 100 kg of methamphetamine last month.

No pleas were recorded from R. Sivaraj, 29, R. Sathiswaran, 30, L. Vichnesh, 30, A. Tanabalan, 31, and R. Suresraj, 33, when the charge was read to them before Magistrate Siti Hanum Mohmad Sah.

All of them were charged with trafficking methamphetamine, weighing 111,326 grammes, at a shed at Lot 11876 Mukim Chenderiang here at 9.45 am on Aug 26.

Tanabalan was also charged with trafficking 2,075 grammes of methamphetamine on the same day and at the same location.

The charges, framed under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, punishable under Section 39B(2) of the same act, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, provide the death penalty, or life imprisonment and not less than 15 whipping, if found guilty.

The court set Nov 3 for mention pending the chemist report.

The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Nurul Hidayu Zakaria, while lawyer Charan Singh represented all the accused.

-- BERNAMA