Public Prosecutor v Balakrishnan: Drug Trafficking under the Misuse of Drugs Act
In the High Court of Singapore, Balakrishnan A/L Sannasy and Muthurumaran Ramasamy pleaded guilty to a charge of trafficking in not less than 14.99g of diamorphine under s 5(1)(a) read with s 5(2) of the Misuse of Drugs Act (Cap 185), 2001 Rev Ed and s 34 of the Penal Code (Cap 224), 1985 Rev Ed. Balakrishnan was caught in an entrapment exercise by the Central Narcotics Bureau and Muthurumaran Ramasamy obtained the drugs for Balakrishnan to sell. Choo Han Teck J sentenced both accused persons to 24 years’ imprisonment and 15 strokes of the cane.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
High Court1.2 Outcome
Accused sentenced to 24 years’ imprisonment and 15 strokes of the cane.
1.3 Case Type
Criminal
1.4 Judgment Type
Grounds of Decision
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
Balakrishnan and Muthurumaran pleaded guilty to trafficking diamorphine under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Balakrishnan was sentenced to 24 years' imprisonment and 15 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 | Amarjit Singh of Public Prosecutor Stanley Kok Pin Chin of Public Prosecutor |
| Balakrishnan a/l Sannasy | Defendant | Individual | Conviction | Lost | |
| Muthurumaran Ramasamy | Defendant | Individual | Conviction | Lost | B J Lean of B J Lean |
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| Choo Han Teck | Judge | Yes |
4. Counsels
| Counsel Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Amarjit Singh | Public Prosecutor |
| Stanley Kok Pin Chin | Public Prosecutor |
| Mohan Das Naidu | Mohan Das Naidu & Partners |
| B J Lean | B J Lean |
4. Facts
- Balakrishnan and Muthurumaran pleaded guilty to trafficking not less than 14.99g of diamorphine.
- The offence was committed on 5 December 2006 at East Coast Park.
- Balakrishnan was caught in an entrapment exercise by the Central Narcotics Bureau.
- Balakrishnan sold and delivered the drugs to an undercover agent.
- Muthurumaran obtained the drugs for Balakrishnan to sell.
- Balakrishnan owed Muthurumaran money and hoped to repay it by selling the drugs.
5. Formal Citations
- Public Prosecutor v Balakrishnan a/l Sannasy and Another, CC 30/2007, [2008] SGHC 6
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Offence committed at East Coast Park | |
| Criminal Case Commenced | |
| Judgment delivered |
7. Legal Issues
- Drug Trafficking
- Outcome: The court sentenced the accused to 24 years’ imprisonment and 15 strokes of the cane.
- Category: Substantive
8. Remedies Sought
- Imprisonment
- Caning
9. Cause of Actions
- Drug Trafficking
10. Practice Areas
- Criminal Law
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 |
|---|---|
| Misuse of Drugs Act (Cap 185), 2001 Rev Ed | Singapore |
| Penal Code (Cap 224), 1985 Rev Ed | Singapore |
15. Key Terms and Keywords
15.1 Key Terms
- Diamorphine
- Drug trafficking
- Entrapment
- Undercover agent
- Central Narcotics Bureau
15.2 Keywords
- Drug trafficking
- Diamorphine
- Singapore
- Criminal Law
17. Areas of Law
| Area Name | Relevance Score |
|---|---|
| Misuse of Drugs Act | 95 |
| Criminal Law | 90 |
| Drug Trafficking | 90 |
| Criminal Procedure | 80 |
| Sentencing | 70 |
| Theft | 30 |
16. Subjects
- Criminal Law
- Drug Offences