Four men face five years behind bars, whippings for drug possession

MIRI: Four unemployed men were jointly charged with possession of dangerous drug methamphetamine in the Magistrate Court here yesterday.

Siblings Marzlan Marikan, 45 and Maswadi Marikan, 31, both from Jalan Tanjung Batu 1 Pujut Padang Kerbau, Rosdi Daraman, 37, from Jalan Jee Foh 8, Krokop and Mohd Yusry Zaini, 32, from Pujut 1B were each charged under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drug Act ( DDA) 1952 and punishable under Section 39A (1) of the same Act.

If convicted they can be jailed between two to five years as well as whippings of between three to nine times.

According to the charge, the four accused were in possession of methamphetamine weighing 18.98 grams. Methamphetamine is an item listed in Part III, First Schedule of DDA 1952.

They allegedly committed the offence at 1pm on March 11 at the ground floor of a house along Jalan Padang Kerbau, Pujut Tanjung Batu 1 here.

Earlier, the prosecuting officer Insp Mohd Khairi Mohd Noor applied for a new date to be set for further mention of the case as the chemist report on the case exhibits are yet to be ready.

Magistrate Zuraini Ali Musa set April 11 for further mention of the case.

Meanwhile, all of the accused were ordered to be released on RM3,000 bail with two local sureties each pending trial.