PP v Muhammad Nor Haiqal: Drug Trafficking under Misuse of Drugs Act
In [2017] SGHC 292, the High Court of Singapore heard the case of Public Prosecutor v Muhammad Nor Haiqal bin Shaman. The accused pleaded guilty to three drug-related offenses: possession of methamphetamine for trafficking, trafficking in methamphetamine, and consumption of methamphetamine. The court, presided over by Choo Han Teck J, sentenced the accused to 24 years' imprisonment and 20 strokes of the cane, with the sentences for the first two charges running concurrently and the sentence for the third charge running consecutively.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
High Court1.2 Outcome
Accused sentenced to 24 years' imprisonment and 20 strokes of the cane.
1.3 Case Type
Criminal
1.4 Judgment Type
Grounds of Decision
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
Muhammad Nor Haiqal was convicted of drug trafficking. The court sentenced him to 24 years' imprisonment and 20 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 | April Phang of Attorney-General’s Chambers Tan Wee Hao of Attorney-General’s Chambers |
| Muhammad Nor Haiqal Bin Shaman | Defendant | Individual | Convicted and sentenced | Lost |
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| Choo Han Teck | Judge | Yes |
4. Counsels
| Counsel Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| April Phang | Attorney-General’s Chambers |
| Tan Wee Hao | Attorney-General’s Chambers |
| K.P Allagarsamy | Allagarsamy & Co |
4. Facts
- The accused pleaded guilty to three drug-related offences.
- The first charge involved possession of not less than 249.99g of methamphetamine for trafficking.
- The second charge was for trafficking in not less than 97.9g of methamphetamine.
- The third charge was for consumption of methamphetamine.
- The accused's role was to receive, repack, and deliver drugs.
- The accused was motivated by cheaper drugs and potential profit.
- The accused was a drug addict at the time of arrest.
5. Formal Citations
- Public ProsecutorvMuhammad Nor Haiqal bin Shaman, Criminal Case No 67 of 2017, [2017] SGHC 292
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Accused arrested | |
| Hearing date | |
| Judgment date |
7. Legal Issues
- Drug Trafficking
- Outcome: The court found the accused guilty of drug trafficking.
- Category: Substantive
- Sentencing for Drug Offences
- Outcome: The court sentenced the accused to 24 years' imprisonment and 20 strokes of the cane.
- Category: Procedural
8. Remedies Sought
- Imprisonment
- Caning
9. Cause of Actions
- Drug Trafficking
- Drug Possession
- Drug Consumption
10. Practice Areas
- Criminal Law
- Drug Trafficking
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 | Singapore |
15. Key Terms and Keywords
15.1 Key Terms
- Methamphetamine
- Drug trafficking
- Drug syndicate
- SingPost
- Repacking
- Delivery
- Co-accused
- Benchmark sentences
15.2 Keywords
- Drug trafficking
- Methamphetamine
- Singapore
- Criminal law
- Sentencing
17. Areas of Law
| Area Name | Relevance Score |
|---|---|
| Misuse of Drugs Act | 95 |
| Criminal Law | 90 |
| Sentencing | 90 |
| Criminal Procedure | 85 |
| Penal Code | 50 |
16. Subjects
- Criminal Law
- Drug Trafficking
- Sentencing