JOHOR BARU: A couple was charged in the magistrates' court today (Jan 7) with trafficking 14.42kg of drugs in the city last month.
Cheng Ee Fei, 32, and Chan Pei Een, 34, indicated they understood the charges when read to them by the court interpreter before magistrate Hidayatul Syuhada Shamsudin.
No plea was recorded as the case falls under the High Court's jurisdiction.
According to the charge sheet, the duo is accused of trafficking methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), weighing about 14.42kg.
The offence allegedly occurred in a black Toyota Vios parked along Persiaran Mutiara Mas around 12.30am on Dec 28.
The charge is under Section 39B(1)(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which, if convicted, carries the death penalty or life imprisonment with a minimum of 15 strokes of the cane.
In the same court, Cheng and Chan faced additional charges of drug possession involving 24.58g of ketamine and 2.75g of methamphetamine.
The offences were allegedly committed at the same location, date, and time.
Both pleaded not guilty to these charges, which fall under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, punishable by a fine of up to RM100,000, imprisonment of up to five years, or both.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Siti Aishah Latif represented the prosecution, while the accused were unrepresented.
Bail was denied, and the court set March 7 for case mention pending a chemistry report.
Last week, Johor police chief Datuk M Kumar said that the couple had been actively trafficking drugs using a family-owned car.
Authorities seized over 14kg of drugs valued at RM2.4 million during a special operation by the Iskandar Puteri Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division.
The operation involved two raids in Iskandar Puteri and Johor Baru, leading to the couple's arrest.