Insurance agent claims trial to trafficking cannabis
KUCHING: A part-time insurance agent pleaded not guilty in the High Court here yesterday to a charge of trafficking 17.55kg of cannabis.
Maxine Rose Frederick, 27, pleaded not guilty when the amended charge was read to her by a court interpreter before Judge Datuk Zaleha Rose Pandin, who set the case for re-mention on Jan 4 next year to monitor the service of trial documents.
The court also ordered the accused to be remanded in Puncak Borneo Prison pending the re-mention.
Maxine, from Kampung Cemerlang here, was charged with committing the offence at the Kuching International Airport (KIA) arrival hall on April 28 this year.
She was charged under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, punishable under Section 39B(2) of the same Act, which provides the death penalty or life imprisonment, and a minimum of 15 whippings if not sentenced to death.
Earlier, the media reported that the Royal Malaysian Customs Department detained the accused who arrived on a flight from Kuala Lumpur carrying a hand luggage.
Customs officers at the Special Passenger Inspection Unit then scanned the luggage she was carrying and found suspicious images from the scan.
Upon checking the luggage, the officers found 18 packets of cannabis weighing 17.55kg (after the chemist report), packed with gift wrapping and carbon paper.
The accused was said to be interested in a job offer at a company in Serian promised by a friend whom she met in Kuala Lumpur, who asked her to bring the luggage with her to Kuching.
Representing the accused were legal counsels Roger Chin and Osman Ibrahim, while Deputy Public Prosecutor Musli Abd Hamid appeared for the prosecution.