Two Singaporean men, Tan Xiao Wei, 49, and Ee Choong Kiat, 36, are facing serious charges in Malaysia that could result in the death penalty.
The charges stem from an alleged attempt to traffic a large quantity of MDMA, commonly known as Ecstasy.
On top of that, Tan faces four additional charges for distribution and two for possession, while Ee has been charged with one count each for distribution and possession.
Here is a breakdown of what happened and what these charges mean.
What Happened
On 12 June, Tan and Ee went to court in Johor, Malaysia. The charges were read to them in Mandarin, their native language, by a court interpreter.
The main charge is that they tried to traffic (aka illegally moving drugs from one place to another to sell them) a total of 58.6kg of MDMA.
MDMA, or Ecstasy, is a drug that makes people feel very happy and energetic.
This alleged crime took place on 29 May at 10:30PM in Taman Horizon Hills, a residential area in Iskandar Puteri, Johor.
But that’s not all. As mentioned earlier, Tan has more charges against him. He is also accused of distributing different amounts of MDMA and methamphetamine.
Methamphetamine, often called meth, is a very strong and addictive drug that speeds up the body’s nervous system.
Tan is accused of distributing 1kg, 11kg, and 460g of MDMA and 660g of methamphetamine.
Besides these, he is also charged with the possession of 510g of ketamine (a medicine used mainly for putting people to sleep during surgery but can also be used illegally to get high) and 170g of nimetazepam (also called Erimin-5, is a sedative that makes people feel calm and sleepy).
These offences are said to have happened at 6:35PM on the same day at Residensi Permai, Menara A, Jalan Mutiara 7, Taman Perindustrian Plentong.
Ee also faces more charges. He is accused of distributing 74g of MDMA and having 26.4g of ketamine. This allegedly happened at 3:40PM on 29 May at Pangsapuri Molek, Persiaran Bumi Hijau, Taman Molek.
The Serious Consequences
We all know the severe consequences of possessing drugs in Singapore, but trafficking drugs in Malaysia is also a very serious crime.
The drug distribution charges against Tan and Ee fall under Section 39B(1)(a) of Malaysia’s Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. If Tan and Ee are found guilty, they could be sentenced to death or to life in prison with at least 15 strokes of the cane.
The charges for possessing the drugs fall under a different part of the same law. If they are found guilty of these charges, they could be jailed for up to five years, fined up to RM100,000 (about S$28,700), or both.
Due to the severe nature of their crimes, the court did not allow bail for Tan and Ee.
The Deputy Public Prosecutor, Nur Ameerah Allaudeen, made it clear that because these are capital offences, which means they could lead to the death penalty, no bail would be given.
The background to these charges involves a big police operation. On 1 June, the Malaysian police announced they had taken down an international drug syndicate.
The police arrested 14 people during this operation. This included 12 foreigners and two Malaysians. One of the foreigners arrested is believed to be the leader of this drug syndicate, a 49-year-old man.
As a result of this raid, the police found and took away 198.5kg of drugs worth RM11.6 million (about S$3.3 million).
Amongst these drugs, there were Ecstasy powder and pills, methamphetamine (also called syabu in Malaysia), ketamine, Erimin-5 pills, and MDMA.
Commissioner Khaw Kok Chin, the head of the Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department, said this operation was a big success. He explained that the suspects were involved in making and selling these drugs, including raw chemicals used to make them.
The court has set the next date for Tan and Ee’s case on 14 August. This will give time for a chemist’s report, a document that confirms the type and amount of the drugs that were found, to be submitted as evidence in court.
As of 13 June 2024, both Tan and Ee have not entered a plea. They will be represented by lawyer Nur Afiqah Hambali in court.