In Klang, the High Court acquitted 29-year-old Inthiran a/l Rajendran on a charge of drug possession under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment with no less than 15 strokes of caning. Inthiran was arrested alongside Thinagaran a/l Madhavan, who subsequently committed suicide while in remand awaiting charges. They were found and arrested on a fiberglass boat off the coast of Port Klang by the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency in early January 2019, allegedly attempting to smuggle a single orange fish barrel containing RM3.45 million worth of methamphetamine. Following a 15-minute boat chase, they were arrested around 7:30 am. Represented by counsels Dato Geethan Ram Vincent and Revin Kumar, the defense argued that the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case against the accused. Despite the sound chain of evidence and drug analysis, there was insufficient evidence proving the element of ownership, particularly that the accused had knowledge of the fish barrel’s contents. Therefore, without calling for the defense to be heard, both the accused and the deceased were declared free men, and their immediate release was ordered.
Fisherman freed of drug trafficking charges.
