The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) revealed that a 39-year-old Singaporean man, Mohamed Shalleh Bin Abdul Latiff, was executed on 3 Aug for trafficking 54.04g of diamorphine, or pure heroin.
CNB added that he received the full due process under the law, with representation by legal counsel throughout.
The High Court had charged him with possessing heroin with the intention of trafficking it back in 2019.
CNB revealed in a press release that Shalleh’s execution went through on 3 Aug.
He had received the capital sentence of death after being convicted of having in his possession 54.04g of diamorphine, for the purpose of trafficking.
The Misuse of Drugs Act provides for the death penalty if the amount of diamorphine trafficked exceeds 15g.
Being nearly four times that amount, 54.04g of diamorphine is sufficient to feed the addiction of about 640 abusers for a week, CNB stated.
He had received the full due process under the law and legal counsel representation during the process.
In 2019, The Straits Times (ST) reported that the High Court handed Shalleh the death penalty at the end of a seven-day trial.
He had failed to convince the court that he thought the three bundles he was delivering were contraband cigarettes instead of drugs.
On 11 Aug 2016, Malaysian Khairul Nizam Ramthan passed him an orange plastic bag and three bundles wrapped in brown paper in separate zip-lock bags.
The bundles were round, of irregular shape and the size of a palm.
He gave the man S$7,000, which he received from a friend who arranged the delivery, and the duo then left in different cars.
CNB officers eventually arrested Shalleh at Mei Ling Street, where he would deliver the products to a third party.
He maintained in his statements that he was delivering contraband cigarettes for a friend he called “Bai.” Bai had said the delivery would help with settling some of his debt.
This was also the second time he helped Bai deliver such goods, involving two and a half cartons of cigarettes.
In addition, Shalleh revealed that he met Bai in prison in 2008, getting re-acquainted in 2014 at the Singapore Turf Club in Kranji.
Shalleh would place bets with Bai, a “bookie”, and ended up owing him at least S$7,000.
Meeting again at a friend’s wedding in 2016, Bai gave Shalleh more time to repay the sum.
Shalleh said he trusted Bai, believing his claim that he was in the business for contraband cigarettes.
He also said his faith was due to Bai refraining from insisting on repayment of his debt. Furthermore, their mutual friends said he could trust him.
As such, Shalleh was not suspicious and did not verify the contents of the products in his possession.
Calling these points “weak support” for the claim of trust in Bai, Justice Hoo pointed out that Shalleh did not know basic information about Bai. This included his actual name and home address.
He had also claimed not to have seen the three bundles inside the orange plastic bag until CNB searched his car.
However, CNB’s senior staff sergeant Tay Keng Chye testified that they discovered the bundles beside the orange plastic bag on the car’s floorboard.
Justice Hoo then reasoned that Shalleh would have caught sight of them. Their round and irregular shape should have also made him suspicious about the nature of the goods.
Justice Hoo ultimately noted that the nature of the delivery should have sparked suspicion in Shalleh about what he was transporting.
A high level of trust in Bai would have to be found to justify overlooking this. Unfortunately, the evidence of the case did not prove as such.
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Featured image adapted from The Independent and Foursquare.
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