PP v Paner Selvom: Drug Trafficking under the Misuse of Drugs Act
In Public Prosecutor v Paner Selvom a/l Rajoo and Jagapalan Jayaram, the High Court of Singapore found both accused guilty of trafficking 1,620.4g of cannabis and 1,264g of cannabis mixture. The court sentenced both accused to life imprisonment with effect from 7 May 2016 and 15 strokes of the cane. The judgment was delivered by Choo Han Teck J.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
High Court1.2 Outcome
Both accused sentenced to life 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
Paner Selvom and Jagapalan Jayaram were convicted of trafficking cannabis and cannabis mixture. The High Court sentenced them to life imprisonment and caning.
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 | Sia Jiazheng of Attorney-General’s Chambers Andrew Tan of Attorney-General’s Chambers |
| Paner Selvom a/l Rajoo | Defendant | Individual | Guilty as charged | Lost | |
| Jagapalan Jayaram | Defendant | Individual | Guilty as charged | Lost |
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| Choo Han Teck | Judge | Yes |
4. Counsels
| Counsel Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Sia Jiazheng | Attorney-General’s Chambers |
| Andrew Tan | Attorney-General’s Chambers |
| Dhanaraj James Selvaraj | James Selvaraj LLC |
| Allagarsamy s/o Palaniyappan | Allagarsamy & Co |
| Sheik Umar bin Mohamed Bagushair | Wong & Leow LLC |
| Krishna Ramakrishna Sharma | Krishna R Sharma |
| Mahadevan Lukshumayeh | S.T. Chelvan & Company |
4. Facts
- The first accused packed cannabis and cannabis mixture into a brown paper bag.
- The second accused transported the brown paper bag containing the drugs.
- Both accused were arrested by CNB officers.
- The first accused admitted to the charge in his statements.
- The second accused denied knowledge of the contents but admitted to delivering the bag for payment.
5. Formal Citations
- Public Prosecutor v Paner Selvom a/l Rajoo and another, Criminal Case No 15 of 2018, [2018] SGHC 63
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Accused persons trafficked in cannabis and cannabis mixture. | |
| First accused stopped truck along Pasir Ris Grove and packed cannabis into a bag. | |
| Second accused arrived in a car and climbed into the trailer. | |
| Second accused drove to a car park at Jalan Kayu. | |
| Second accused arrested by CNB officers. | |
| First accused arrested at Pasir Ris Grove. | |
| Effective date of life imprisonment sentence. | |
| Hearing date. | |
| Hearing date. | |
| Judgment date. |
7. Legal Issues
- Drug Trafficking
- Outcome: The court found both accused guilty of drug trafficking.
- Category: Substantive
8. Remedies Sought
- Life Imprisonment
- Caning
9. Cause of Actions
- Drug Trafficking
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
- Cannabis
- Cannabis Mixture
- Drug Trafficking
- Central Narcotics Bureau
- Courier
15.2 Keywords
- Drug Trafficking
- Cannabis
- Singapore
- Criminal Law
17. Areas of Law
| Area Name | Relevance Score |
|---|---|
| Misuse of Drugs Act | 95 |
| Criminal Law | 90 |
| Offences | 70 |
| Theft | 30 |
16. Subjects
- Criminal Law
- Drug Offences