Public Prosecutor v Dhanabalan: Trafficking of Controlled Drugs
In Public Prosecutor v Dhanabalan s/o A Gopalkrishnan, the High Court of Singapore sentenced Dhanabalan to 20 years imprisonment for each of the two charges as well as 15 strokes of the cane for each charge. The charges were for trafficking in a controlled drug, specifically cannabis. The court ordered the terms of imprisonment to be served concurrently and restricted the maximum number of strokes to 24.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
High Court1.2 Outcome
Accused sentenced to 20 years imprisonment and 24 strokes of the cane.
1.3 Case Type
Criminal
1.4 Judgment Type
Grounds of Decision
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
Dhanabalan pleaded guilty to trafficking cannabis. The court sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment and 24 strokes of the cane.
1.7 Decision Date
2. Parties and Outcomes
| Party Name | Role | Type | Outcome | Outcome Type | Counsels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Prosecutor | Prosecution | Government Agency | Judgment for Prosecution | Won | Derek Kang of Attorney-General’s Chambers G Kannan of Attorney-General’s Chambers |
| Dhanabalan s/o A Gopalkrishnan | Defense | Individual | Conviction and Sentencing | Lost |
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| Choo Han Teck | Judge | Yes |
4. Counsels
| Counsel Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Derek Kang | Attorney-General’s Chambers |
| G Kannan | Attorney-General’s Chambers |
| Anand Nalachandran | Harry Elias Partnership |
| Subhas Anandan | Harry Elias Partnership |
4. Facts
- The accused pleaded guilty to two charges of trafficking in a controlled drug.
- The first charge related to trafficking 499.99g of cannabis.
- The second charge related to trafficking 749.99g of cannabis mixture.
- The accused was arrested on 24 February 2003.
- The accused was cutting and packing cannabis from a bigger block of the substance when arrested.
- The accused was offered $100 for each block of cannabis he helped cut and pack.
- The accused refused to transport the packed cannabis.
5. Formal Citations
- Public Prosecutor v Dhanabalan s/o A Gopalkrishnan, CC 33/2003, [2003] SGHC 178
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Accused retrenched from job at Natsteel. | |
| Accused arrested for drug trafficking. | |
| Judgment issued. |
7. Legal Issues
- Trafficking in Controlled Drugs
- Outcome: The accused was found guilty of trafficking in controlled drugs.
- Category: Substantive
- Sentencing
- Outcome: The accused was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for each of the two charges as well as 15 strokes of the cane for each charge. The court ordered the terms of imprisonment to be served concurrently and restricted the maximum number of strokes to 24.
- Category: Procedural
8. Remedies Sought
- Imprisonment
- Caning
9. Cause of Actions
- Trafficking in Controlled Drugs
10. Practice Areas
- Criminal Litigation
11. Industries
- No industries specified
12. Cited Cases
| Case Name | Court | Affirmed | Citation | Jurisdiction | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No cited cases | |||||
13. Applicable Rules
| Rule Name |
|---|
| No applicable rules |
14. Applicable Statutes
| Statute Name | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| Criminal Procedure Code, Ch 68, s 230 | Singapore |
15. Key Terms and Keywords
15.1 Key Terms
- Trafficking
- Cannabis
- Controlled Drug
- Retrenched
- Impecuniousity
15.2 Keywords
- drug trafficking
- cannabis
- sentencing
- criminal law
17. Areas of Law
| Area Name | Relevance Score |
|---|---|
| Trafficking in controlled drugs | 98 |
| Drug Crimes | 95 |
| Criminal Law | 90 |
| Sentencing | 85 |
| Criminal Procedure | 80 |
16. Subjects
- Criminal Procedure
- Sentencing
- Drug Offences