Three men were sentenced to death by the High Court...

Three men were sentenced to death by the High Court in Kuala Lumpur after they were found guilty of trafficking in 61.1gm of monoacetylmorphine in 1999. Judge Datuk Wira Mohd Ghazali Mohd Yusoff said the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt against restaurant worker R.Gunalan, 35, forklift driver Ganesan Haja Mohidin, 25, and mechanic R. Victor, 32.
They were charged under Section 39B(1)(A) of the Dangerous Drug s Act 1952 which carries the mandatory death sentence on conviction. In mitigation, Gunalan, Ganesan and Victor said they regretted their action and that they had been influenced by friends.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Zulkarnain Hassan said drug trafficking was a serious offence because illicit drug was the country's number one enemy. Zulkarnain expressed hope that the sentence would serve as a deterrent to others who might be contemplating to commit a similar offence.
Mohd Ghazali said death was the only sentence that could be imposed for such an offence. "Therefore, I direct that all three be hanged to death as provided for under Section 277 of the Criminal Procedure Code," he said.