KUCHING: A 36-year-old man was fined RM3,600, or face 10 months’ imprisonment in default, by the Magistrates’ Court here today for possessing methamphetamine earlier this year.
Magistrate Nursyaheeqa Nazwa Radzali meted out the sentence to Mohamad Ilham Mohd Jaafar after he pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, punishable under Section 12(3) of the same Act.
According to the amended charge, the accused was found in possession of 0.37 gramme of methamphetamine in front of a house at Taman Matang Jaya, at about 3.20 pm on January 27.
The offence carries a penalty of a fine not exceeding RM100,000, or imprisonment for up to five years or both, upon conviction.
Facts of the case revealed that the accused was detained by a team from the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division (NCID) of the Padawan District Police Headquarters during ‘Ops Tapis Khas’.
Upon inspection, the accused voluntarily handed over a small transparent plastic packet containing crystalline substances suspected to be syabu, with an initial gross weight of 0.54 gramme.
The seized substance was later sent to the Chemistry Department Malaysia for analysis, which confirmed it to be methamphetamine with a net weight of 0.37 gramme.
Following investigations, the accused was charged for possession of dangerous drugs.
The prosecution was conducted by Inspector Nur Shafiqa Nyaie Ilin, while the accused was unrepresented.
