Eight years jail, caning for drug possessing Azerbaijan nationals

The High Court here today sentenced two Azerbaijan nationals to eight years in jail and 10 strokes of the cane each for the possession of methamphetamine at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Sepang, two years ago.

Judge Datuk Nurchaya Arshad sentenced construction worker Nabi Yasar Oglu Abdullayeb, 30, and folk singer Niyamaddin Xanlar Oglu Niyamaddin Alakbarov, 27, after they pleaded guilty to alternative charges under Section 12 (2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

They were initially charged under Section 39B of the same Act which carries the mandatory death sentence, upon conviction.

Nabi Yasar and Niyamaddin Xanlar were accused of possessing 558 and 490 grammes of methamphetamine each in their bags at KLIA on Nov 27 2011.

The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Zainal Azwar Kamaruddin while lawyer Datuk N.Sivananthan represented both the accused.