Man convicted in Singapore for trafficking 36g heroin, second such case this year

In a second such case this year Singapore was hanged to death for trafficking 36.93 g of heroin, reported Independent.

The 45-year-old man was sent to the Changi prison for possessing more than twice the heroin that is considered for a death penalty, as per the Central Narcotics Bureau.

Under Singapore law, anyone who has more than 500 g of cannabis or 15 g of heroin, they will be executed.

Singapore has very strict laws when it comes to drug trafficking. The human rights groups and the UN has urged Singapore not to give death penalty to drug trafficking related cases as it is 'ineffective as a deterrent'.

The identity of the man who was convicted in this case was kept confidential upon his family's request.

"He was accorded full due process under the law, and was represented by legal counsel throughout the process," Central Narcotics Bureau said.

He was convicted in the year 2019, as per AFP report and was given death sentence.

During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Singapore had put executions on hold. However, despite activists and human rights groups opposing drug trafficking related convictions, in 2022 they resumed it.

In another case of execution, in February, Ahmed Salim, a Bangladeshi national was executed by Singapore authorities. He was the first case of execution since 2019 and was convicted for a murder.

The Singapore Police Force in a statement said that capital punishment can stop such cases of drug trafficking.

"Capital punishment is used only for the most serious crimes in Singapore that cause grave harm to the victim, or to society," the statement said.

The publication reported that according to an NGO Transformative Justice Collective, based in Singapore, out of almost 50 cases in the death row, two have been convicted for drug related cases. The NGO campaigns against death penalty.