TAWAU: Two men were sentenced to 30 years in prison and 12 strokes of the cane each for trafficking syabu by the Tawau High Court on Wednesday.
Haris Jumain, 36, and Soon Jhien Haw, 32, were found guilty separately by Judge Datuk Duncan Sikodol, after ruling that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt against the duo.
Haris, a widower and illegal Indonesian national who worked as a tree-cutting labourer, was found guilty of trafficking 1,238.4 grammes of syabu at a house in Kg Tengah 2, Kalabakan at 4pm on August 16, 2023.
Meanwhile, Soon, a father of five, was found guilty of trafficking 379 grammes of syabu in front of a house at Lorong Bintang 3, Taman Bintang, around 5.55pm on January 18, 2024.
Both men were charged separately under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which is punishable under Section 39B(2) of the same Act.
The section provides for the death penalty or imprisonment of not less than 30 years and not more than 40 years. If not sentenced to death, the offender must be given not less than 12 strokes of the cane upon conviction.
Haris was arrested during a raid by a team from the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division (BSJN) of the Tawau District Police Headquarters (IPD), acting on public information about drug trafficking activities in the area. The drugs were found stored in a blue bag.
Soon was arrested by a team from the Narcotics Crime Investigation Division of the Sabah Police Headquarters (IPK) and BSJN IPD Tawau after a 15-minute surveillance. He was caught walking out of a house carrying a black plastic bag in his right hand, which was later found to contain the drugs.
Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Nisla Abd Latif urged the court to impose a heavy sentence on the duo in the public interest and to serve as a deterrent to them and the public.
She stated that drug trafficking cases have been increasingly rampant in the district, as evident by the continuous registration of new cases under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 in the Tawau High Court.
Haris was represented by appointed counsel Jhassary P. Kang and Jhesseny P. Kang, while Soon was represented by counsel Kamarudin Mohmad Chinki.