AYER KEROH: A former p-hailing delivery rider was sentenced to 30 years in prison and 12 strokes of the cane by the Ayer Keroh High Court after being found guilty of trafficking 684g of methamphetamine five years ago.
Judge Datuk DJP Suria Kumar sentenced Muhammad Nadhir Zailany, 31, after finding that the defence had failed to raise reasonable doubt over the prosecution's case.
The judge said the defence had questioned the prosecution's failure to call a man known as "Hafiz", whom the accused claimed was the actual owner of the drugs, as well as its failure to call Inspector Hasif as a witness.
"The prosecution's failure to call Hafiz as a witness did not undermine the testimony of the fourth and fifth prosecution witnesses, who saw the bag containing the drugs on the accused's body. This showed that he had control, knowledge and possession of the drugs," Suria said.
He said the accused had driven a Proton Preve for almost 15 hours from Kota Warisan to Sentul before heading towards the Ayer Keroh Toll Plaza, with the bag slung across his body. He was alone in the car when it was stopped.
The court found that the accused had used a forged employment confirmation letter to deceive authorities checking travel documents during the movement control order.
Suria said the defence had failed to rebut the presumption of drug trafficking or raise reasonable doubt over the prosecution's case.
The sentence was backdated to his arrest on June 9, 2021.
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