IPOH: A 41-year-old barber was charged in the Magistrate's Court here today with possessing 900 litres of ketum water, or mitragynine, and could face up to five years in jail if found guilty.
The accused, Jamal Mirdad Khairuddin, understood the charges read before Magistrate S. Punitha, but no plea was recorded as the court awaits the results of a chemical report.
According to the charge, he was accused of having control over 900 litres of liquid containing mitragynine, listed under the First and Third Schedules (Psychotropic Substances) of the Poisons Act 1952.
The offence was committed at a house in Laluan Pakatan Jaya 4, Taman Pakatan Jaya, here, at about 12:10am on Nov 22.
The offence is punishable under Section 30(3) of the Poisons Act 1952, which carries a fine not exceeding RM100,000, imprisonment of up to five years, or both, upon conviction.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Vatchira Wong Rui Fern, while the accused was represented by National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK) lawyer Norizawani Ahmad Jalaludin.
Vatchira proposed bail of RM7,000, but Norizawani requested a reduction due to the accused's daily income of RM80, as he supports a child and his mother.
Norizawani also noted that the accused, a divorcee, has to pay RM400 per month for child support for his 14-year-old child, who is in the custody of his ex-wife.
The court allowed bail at RM3,500 with one surety and set Feb 5 for mention.
It was reported that a syndicate processing and selling ketum water, active for the past two years, was busted in a raid on a house in Taman Pakatan Jaya last Friday.
The raid led to the arrest of six local men aged 24 to 42, believed to be syndicate members, and the seizure of 3,000 packets of ketum water, estimated at 900 litres, stored in orange water containers.
https://www.nst.com.my/amp/news/crime-courts/2024/11/1138686/police-bust...