KUCHING: A 26-year-old unemployed man was fined a total of RM9,000, in default 18 months’ imprisonment, and sentenced to 12 months’ jail by the Magistrates’ Court here today (July 28) after pleading guilty to three counts of possessing dangerous drugs.
Senior Assistant Registrar Abdurrahman Abrar Jami meted out the sentence on Mark Cliffon Song Choon Hua, after he pleaded guilty to all of the charges under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, punishable under Section 12(3) of the same Act, which provides for a fine of up to RM100,000, imprisonment of up to five years, or both, upon conviction.
For the first charge of possessing 4.7g of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), the court fined him RM4,500, in default nine month imprisonment.
For the second charge of possessing 2.14g of methamphetamine, he was also fined RM4,500, in default nine months’ imprisonment.
On the third charge of possessing 29.53g of ketamine, the court sentenced him to 12 months’ imprisonment.
The offences were committed at about 10 am on May 2 at a condominium unit near Jalan Petanak.
According to the facts of the case, a team from the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) of Bukit Aman brought the accused to the apartment after his arrest.
Using a key and access card seized from the accused, the officers entered the unit and instructed him to indicate where the drugs were kept.
He pointed to a white box labelled “THOSE STUDIOS” placed on a wardrobe beside the bed.
A search of the box uncovered various suspected drugs, including ecstasy pills bearing butterfly, rabbit, star and crown logos, as well as multiple packets of powdered substances concealed in packaging labelled “Mixed Strawberry Juice”, “Mixed Milk Juice”, “Mixed Juice King”, “Juice Master” and “Fresh Fruit Juice”.
Subsequent analysis by the Chemistry Department confirmed the seized substances contained ketamine, methamphetamine and MDMA.
The total quantities relevant to the charges were determined to be 4.73g of MDMA, 2.14g of methamphetamine and 29.53g of ketamine.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohammad Azeem Mohd Ridzo. The accused was unrepresented.
The case was investigated by Inspector Hazam Amit.
