Indian-origin man gets 13 years jail for possessing cannabis in Singapore
Darpan News Desk IANS, 10 Jan, 2023 12:19 PM
Singapore, Jan 10 (IANS) An Indian-origin man has been sentenced to 13 years in jail and 10 strokes of the cane for possessing 523.6g of cannabis for trafficking in Singapore.
Narkkeeran Arasan, 45, who pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking controlled drugs, admitted during the probe that he was facing financial stress and wanted to sell cannabis to get fast cash, The Straits Times reported.
The Central Narcotics Bureau acted on information received and arrested Narkkeeran in Woodlands while he was a passenger in a Grab car on April 12, 2021.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Tessa Tan said during the search of the car a block of vegetable matter wrapped in several layers of plastic which was taped up was found in the bag.
In July 2021, Health Sciences Authority after analysis certified that the vegetable matter was cannabis weighing at least 523.6g.
At least 413.6g of fragmented vegetable matter from the same block was also found to contain cannabinol and tetrahydrocannabinol, a cannabinol derivative.
"The mixture of vegetable matter (stated) above, weighing not less than 937.2g, was therefore cannabis mixture," Tan was quoted as saying in the paper.
The court was told that Narkkeeran ordered one "book of cannabis", which he understood to mean 1 kg in weight, on April 11, 2021, from a contact known to him as "R and R".
He paid $3,000 for it, the paper reported.
An offender may be jailed for between five and 20 years, and may receive between five and 15 strokes of the cane for possessing at least 329.99g of cannabis for trafficking.
Available in a range of standards, including gold and silver, the special collectors' coin was designed by Heena Glover and features an image of a lotus, India's national flower, alongside one of Gandhi's most famous quotes -- "My life is my message".
The pill was licensed for adults 18 and older who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have at least one risk factor for developing severe disease, such as obesity or heart disease. Patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 would take four pills of the drug, known molnupiravir, twice a day for five days.
For the first time in history, three-day Diwali celebrations will be held from November 2-4, showcasing a spectacular digital mural on the WTC podium and fireworks over the Hudson River.
Dr. Supriya Sharma, chief medical adviser at Health Canada, said Canadian officials attended that meeting and are watching the process in the U.S. carefully as Canada makes its own decision about the pediatric vaccine.
The White House issued updated guidance Monday about its new rules for incoming international travellers, which are scheduled to take effect Nov. 8. Those rules, which require foreign nationals to be fully vaccinated in order to enter the U.S. for non-essential purposes, clarify the requirements around testing and contact tracing, in particular for unvaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents re-entering the country.
