Foreigners get death for drug trafficking

SEREMBAN: Two foreign nationals were ordered to be hanged to death by the High Court here after they were found guilty of trafficking in 2,083gm of methamphetamine two years ago.

Judicial Commissioner Muhammad Jamil Hussin handed down the sentence on Nigerian Chikanso Ansalem Okoli 29, and Desmond Owusu, 25, from Ghana, after finding that the prosecution had succeeded in establishing the case.

The two men were charged with trafficking in the drug at a car park at Dataran Nilai here at 11.05 am on March 15, 2016.

They were charged under Section 39B (1) (a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act, which provides the mandatory death sentence, upon conviction.

According to the facts of the case, Okoli and Owusu were arrested by a team from the Bukit Aman Narcotic Criminal Investigation Department, following a raid which was conducted following a tipoff.

They were represented by lawyers appointed by the court, Abdul Aziz Hamzah and Datuk Hanif Hassan.

In mitigation, Okoli, who is a restaurant assistant in Nilai, said he regretted his action and apologised.

“Okoli entered the country legally in 2014 to find a job to support his family,” said Abdul Aziz.

He said Owusu, a student at a college in Ipoh, Perak, also entered the country through proper channels in 2015.