MALAYSIA. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR TRAFFICKING

Chong Chee Kong, a 46-year-old man who escaped from remand in Johor in 1989, was sentenced to death by the Malaysian High Court for drug trafficking. Kong, who had been on the run, was caught by police in 2001.
Meanwhile, foreman Tong Keng Boon, 29, who was jointly charged with Chong, was acquitted because there were "too many inferences not to convict him".
Judge Datuk Helilah Mohd Yusof took two hours and 15 minutes to read her judgment.
Chong and Tong were charged with trafficking three plastic packets containing 170.6g of methamphetamine in a car in front of a petrol station in Jalan Maharajalela, Dang Wangi, at about 10.45pm on September 21, 2001.
Chong, of Lorong Yap Kwan Seng, faced a second charge of possessing 35 pills at the same time and place. Chong was also convicted of the second offence and sentenced to 15 months imprisonment. Helilah said the court took into consideration the testimony of the investigating officer who said police acted on information and laid an ambush. "The police also found a clutch bag containing the three plastic packets beneath the front passenger seat with 15,000 pills of the drug Yaba which had the marking 'WY'." Police also found RM 16,000 in the clutch bag and another RM2,000 on Chong.