Public Prosecutor v Ramdhan bin Lajis: Drug Trafficking under the Misuse of Drugs Act
In Public Prosecutor v Ramdhan bin Lajis and Steve Crocker, the High Court of Singapore heard a joint trial concerning charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Ramdhan bin Lajis faced one charge of trafficking in diamorphine, while Steve Crocker faced one charge of possessing diamorphine for the purpose of trafficking. The court found both Ramdhan and Crocker guilty, determining that Ramdhan had indeed trafficked the drugs to Crocker, and Crocker possessed the drugs with the intent to traffic them further.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
High Court1.2 Outcome
Guilty verdict for both accused persons.
1.3 Case Type
Criminal
1.4 Judgment Type
Judgment
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
Ramdhan and Crocker were jointly tried for drug trafficking. The court found both guilty, determining Ramdhan trafficked diamorphine and Crocker possessed it for trafficking.
1.7 Decision Date
2. Parties and Outcomes
| Party Name | Role | Type | Outcome | Outcome Type | Counsels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Prosecutor | Prosecution | Government Agency | Guilty verdict | Won | Shahla Iqbal of Attorney-General’s Chambers Carene Poh of Attorney-General’s Chambers |
| Ramdhan bin Lajis | Defendant | Individual | Guilty verdict | Lost | |
| Steve Crocker | Defendant | Individual | Guilty verdict | Lost |
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| Chan Seng Onn | Judge | Yes |
4. Counsels
| Counsel Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Shahla Iqbal | Attorney-General’s Chambers |
| Carene Poh | Attorney-General’s Chambers |
| Rupert Seah Eng Chee | Rupert Seah & Co. |
| B Uthayachanran | Essex LLC |
| Sankar Saminathan | Sterling Law Corporation |
| Luke Lee | Luke Lee & Co |
4. Facts
- CNB officers were tailing a car with registration number SGX 4099E.
- Ramdhan and Crocker were passengers in the car.
- Crocker was found in possession of two bundles of heroin after alighting from the car.
- Ramdhan was arrested shortly after Crocker’s arrest.
- Crocker claimed a significant proportion of the drugs was for personal consumption.
- Ramdhan claimed he had no involvement with the heroin bundles.
- A1 and B1-PP1A envelopes were manufactured consecutively.
5. Formal Citations
- Public Prosecutor v Ramdhan bin Lajis and another, Criminal Case No 12 of 2016, [2018] SGHC 104
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| CNB officers conducted an anti-drug operation. | |
| Crocker boarded the Car at The Cathay. | |
| Crocker alighted from the Car at Grange Road and was arrested. | |
| Ramdhan was arrested after the Car was intercepted. | |
| Trial began. | |
| Trial continued. | |
| Trial continued. | |
| Judgment reserved. |
7. Legal Issues
- Drug Trafficking
- Outcome: The court found Ramdhan guilty of trafficking diamorphine.
- Category: Substantive
- Possession of Drugs for Trafficking
- Outcome: The court found Crocker guilty of possessing diamorphine for the purpose of trafficking.
- Category: Substantive
8. Remedies Sought
- Criminal Prosecution
- Imprisonment
9. Cause of Actions
- Drug Trafficking
- Possession of Controlled Drugs for the Purpose of Trafficking
10. Practice Areas
- Criminal Litigation
- Drug Trafficking
11. Industries
- No industries specified
12. Cited Cases
| Case Name | Court | Affirmed | Citation | Jurisdiction | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muhammad Ridzuan bin Md Ali v Public Prosecutor and other matters | Court of Appeal | Yes | [2014] 3 SLR 721 | Singapore | Cited for the elements required to prove a charge of trafficking under s 5(1)(a) read with s 5(2) of the MDA. |
| Norasharee bin Gous v Public Prosecutor | Court of Appeal | Yes | [2017] 1 SLR 820 | Singapore | Cited regarding the court's ability to convict an accused solely on the basis of a co-accused's testimony. |
| Public Prosecutor v Muhammad Farid bin Mohd Yusop | High Court | Yes | [2015] 3 SLR 16 | Singapore | Cited regarding the circumstances required for an adverse inference to be drawn against an accused. |
13. Applicable Rules
| Rule Name |
|---|
| No applicable rules |
14. Applicable Statutes
| Statute Name | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| Misuse of Drugs Act (Cap 185, 2008 Rev Ed) | Singapore |
| Criminal Procedure Code (Cap 68, 2012 Rev Ed) | Singapore |
| Evidence Act (Cap 97, 1997 Rev Ed) | Singapore |
15. Key Terms and Keywords
15.1 Key Terms
- Diamorphine
- Trafficking
- Possession
- Misuse of Drugs Act
- CNB
- D10 bundles
- A1 envelope
- B1-PP1A envelope
15.2 Keywords
- Drug Trafficking
- Misuse of Drugs Act
- Diamorphine
- Singapore
- Criminal Law
17. Areas of Law
| Area Name | Relevance Score |
|---|---|
| Misuse of Drugs Act | 95 |
| Criminal Law | 75 |
| Criminal Procedure | 60 |
| Evidence | 60 |
| Sentencing | 50 |
16. Subjects
- Criminal Law
- Drug Offences