Youth’s drug trafficking trial begins

KOTA KINABALU: The trial of a youth charged with trafficking in 6,626 grams of cannabis commenced at the High Court here yesterday.

Mohd Izzan Azhar Abdullah, who was brought before Justice Datuk Nurchaya Hj Arshad, faces a charge under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA) 1952, punishable under Section 39B(2) of the same Act which carries the mandatory death sentence, upon conviction.

The accused was caught for allegedly committing the offence at the Criminal Investigation Department of the Sabah Police Headquarters in Kepayan here at 8pm on September 14, 2016.

Deputy public prosecutor Gan Peng Kun informed the court that the prosecution will rely on Section 37A of the DDA to invoke the presumption provided under Section 37(d) of the DDA to show that the accused was found to have had in custody a greenish luggage allegedly containing cannabis and therefore, be deemed to have been in possession and to have known the nature of such drugs.

The prosecution further said that Section 37A of the DDA also allows the prosecution to invoke the presumption provided under Section 37(da) of the same Act as the weight of the cannabis was 6,626 grams and the accused therefore was presumed to be trafficking in the dangerous drugs.

The prosecution will also show that the totality of evidence will point to the irrefutable conclusion that the accused did on his own behalf traffick in the said drugs.

Five witnesses will be called to give their evidence against the accused who was represented by counsel Zahir Shah.

Izzan is currently remanded under Section 259 of the Criminal Procedure Code, pending disposal of the case.