Thai to hang for drug trafficking

SHAH ALAM: A Thai national was sent to the gallows by the High Court here yesterday after he was found guilty of trafficking 1,333gm of Methamphetamine three years ago.

Judge Datuk Ghazali Cha made the decision after he was satisfied that the defence declaration made by Thanakorn Sinsanoi, 25, was a mere denial and fabricated.

The man was found to have committed the offence under Section 39B (1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 at the Passenger Inspection Branch of the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT), Sepang, upon arrival from Kolkata, India, at 1 am on July 13, 2013.

In his judgment, Ghazali said the accused's statement that he had no knowledge or control over the drug, which was found hidden among packs of saris in his luggage, was unacceptable.

The court also found that the man's statement that the saris was given to him by a person named 'Mei' when he was in India, was merely fabricated. "His defence as an innocent carrier has failed to raise a reasonable doubt against the prosecution's case," the judge said.

According to the facts of the case, the man was detained at the LCCT after the Customs officers found five cylinders containing crystal methamphetamine among the packs of saris in his luggage.

Deputy public prosecutor from the Customs Department Suhana Mohd prosecuted, while the accused was represented by counsel Mak Koh Keong.

Nine prosecution witnesses and one defence witness were called during the trial. - Bernama