PP v Azman bin Ismail: Joint Drug Trafficking at Cascadale Condominium

In Public Prosecutor v Azman bin Ismail, the High Court of Singapore convicted Azman bin Ismail, Ruzaini bin Ajis, and Mohamed Isnin bin Saleh for jointly trafficking in diamorphine. The incident occurred on August 17, 2001, at Cascadale Condominium. The court, presided over by Justice Kan Ting Chiu, found the accused persons guilty based on evidence including their presence at the scene, fingerprint evidence, and inconsistencies in their testimonies. The defenses presented by the accused were deemed unsatisfactory, leading to their conviction.

1. Case Overview

1.1 Court

High Court

1.2 Outcome

Guilty verdict for all three accused.

1.3 Case Type

Criminal

1.4 Judgment Type

Grounds of Decision

1.5 Jurisdiction

Singapore

1.6 Description

Azman bin Ismail, Ruzaini bin Ajis, and Mohamed Isnin bin Saleh were convicted of jointly trafficking diamorphine at Cascadale Condominium. The High Court found their defenses unconvincing.

1.7 Decision Date

2. Parties and Outcomes

Party NameRoleTypeOutcomeOutcome TypeCounsels
Public ProsecutorProsecutionGovernment AgencyConvictionWon
Tan Kiat Pheng of Public Prosecutor
Wong Kok Weng of Public Prosecutor
Amarjit Singh of Public Prosecutor
Azman bin IsmailDefendantIndividualGuiltyLost
Ruzaini bin AjisDefendantIndividualGuiltyLost
Mohamed Isnin bin SalehDefendantIndividualGuiltyLost

3. Judges

Judge NameTitleDelivered Judgment
Kan Ting ChiuJudgeYes

4. Counsels

Counsel NameOrganization
Tan Kiat PhengPublic Prosecutor
Wong Kok WengPublic Prosecutor
Amarjit SinghPublic Prosecutor
Ahmad NizamMuzammil Nizam & Partners
Ong Cheong WeiOng Cheong Wei & Company
Ram GoswamiRam Goswami
James MasihJames Masih & Company
Ayaduray JeyapalanGanesha & Partners
Ramli SalehkonRamli & Co

4. Facts

  1. The three accused were arrested at Cascadale condominium.
  2. Azman was found with keys to the apartment and $42,364.29.
  3. 30 packets of heroin were found in a bag carried by Azman.
  4. 43 packets of diamorphine were found concealed in the apartment.
  5. Isnin's fingerprint was found on the master bedroom toilet ceiling.
  6. Azman's fingerprint was found on the kitchen toilet ceiling.
  7. Isnin admitted to packing drugs in the apartment on multiple occasions.

5. Formal Citations

  1. Public Prosecutor v Azman bin Ismail and Others, CC 23/2002, [2002] SGHC 178

6. Timeline

DateEvent
Apartment viewed and tenancy taken up by Rohaizan binte Buang.
Azman, Ruzaini, and Isnin packed drugs at the apartment.
Azman collected a bag from Kranji MRT station.
Ruzaini arrested at Cascadale condominium.
Isnin arrested in the apartment.
Azman arrested by CNB officers.
Drugs seized from the apartment.
Judgment Date

7. Legal Issues

  1. Drug Trafficking
    • Outcome: The court found the defendants guilty of drug trafficking.
    • Category: Substantive
  2. Possession of Controlled Drugs
    • Outcome: The court invoked the presumption of possession under s.18(1) of the Misuse of Drugs Act against Azman.
    • Category: Substantive
  3. Common Intention
    • Outcome: The court found that the three accused shared a common intention to traffic drugs.
    • Category: Substantive
  4. Credibility of Witnesses
    • Outcome: The court found the testimonies of the accused to be inconsistent and unreliable.
    • Category: Procedural

8. Remedies Sought

  1. Conviction
  2. Imprisonment

9. Cause of Actions

  • Drug Trafficking

10. Practice Areas

  • Criminal Litigation

11. Industries

  • No industries specified

12. Cited Cases

Case NameCourtAffirmedCitationJurisdictionSignificance
Tan Chuan Ten v PPCourt of AppealYes[1997] 2 SLR 348SingaporeCited to establish the principle for determining if a prima facie case exists.

13. Applicable Rules

Rule Name
No applicable rules

14. Applicable Statutes

Statute NameJurisdiction
Misuse of Drugs Act, Chapter 185, section 5(1)(a)Singapore
Misuse of Drugs Act, Chapter 185, section 5(2)Singapore
Misuse of Drugs Act, Chapter 185, section 33Singapore
Penal Code, Chapter 224, section 34Singapore
Misuse of Drugs Act, section 18(1)Singapore

15. Key Terms and Keywords

15.1 Key Terms

  • Diamorphine
  • Drug trafficking
  • Cascadale condominium
  • Common intention
  • Possession of drugs
  • Central Narcotics Bureau
  • CNB
  • Brother

15.2 Keywords

  • Drug trafficking
  • Diamorphine
  • Singapore
  • Criminal law
  • Possession
  • CNB
  • Cascadale

17. Areas of Law

Area NameRelevance Score
Misuse of Drugs Act95
Drug Crimes90
Criminal Law80
Evidence70
Criminal Procedure60
Penal Code60
Criminal Revision40

16. Subjects

  • Criminal Law
  • Drug Offences