French Woman Held In Malaysia On Drugs Charges Could Face The Death Penalty

[The General]

A French woman and four others detained in Malaysia on suspicion of growing cannabis could face the death penalty after police said Saturday they were "very likely" to be charged with drug trafficking. The French woman, an Indonesian maid and three Malaysian men were arrested on Wednesday in a raid on two luxury apartment units in the capital of eastern Sabah state on Borneo island, state police chief Hamza Taib said.

Police seized 36 cannabis plants and half a kilogram (1.1 pounds) of processed cannabis from the units, Hamza said. Malaysia is known for its strict anti-drug trafficking laws, and the offense carries a mandatory sentence of death by hanging upon conviction. Hamza said police were investigating those detained for illegally growing the plants and drug trafficking.

"We will finish our investigations and submit the papers to the attorney general's office. It's very likely that they will be charged," Hamza told AFP. He added the French woman, in her 30s, had been in Malaysia for a year but declined to name her or give further details. Hundreds of people are currently on death row in Malaysia, mainly for drug-related offenses. Since 1960 nearly 450 people have been executed, although the Southeast Asian country has carried out few hangings in recent years. Two Australians were put to death in 1986 for heroin trafficking, the first Westerners to be hanged.

News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Thelocal.fr
Author: AFP
Contact: Contact Us - The Local
Website: French woman held in Malaysia on drugs charges - The Local

 

[sicntired]

While I am aware of the intolerant drug policies all over SE asia.I still cannot believe that the death penalty would be applied to this case.I have heard that they have done executions for the harder drugs.I have not heard of a cannabis,death penalty case.That doesn't alter the fact that it's even on the books.It was the British that spread opium all over that area in the 19th century.I guess that might make it easier to understand their attitude?The USA is the all time leader in scaring people they arrest by suggesting that they will get the maximum.It gets them a lot of informants and even a few introductions by people so scared they'd sell their mother to save themselves.It's a very brutal and unnecessary excess in penalties for drug crimes that causes some people to hang themselves rather than spend another second thinking about what they just heard.Unintended consequences?I somehow doubt that.

 

[DUSTCO22]

And yet even still, a person gets legally drunk in a bar, illegally drives a car 3 times the legal limit and kills 2 people and will receive 6 months in county lockup and a years probation.