SINGAPORE: MAN LOSES APPEAL AGAINST DEATH SENTENCE FOR TRAFFICKING HEROIN

March 11, 2024:

A Singaporean man sentenced to death for trafficking 34.9g of diamorphine or heroin has lost his appeals against his conviction and sentence.
Shen Hanjie, 33, argued in his appeal that he always believed the drugs in the bundles found in his Marsiling bedroom to be cannabis or "grass".
He also argued that he did not have the intention to traffic the drugs and that he was a mere courier.
The Court of Appeal in a judgment released on March 1, 2024 found no error in the trial judge's decision and dismissed Shen's appeals.
According to court papers, a team of 13 Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers went to the carpark of a block in Marsiling to look out for Shen on Nov 20, 2018.
They broke into Shen's bedroom and arrested him, seizing multiple packets of drugs found inside.
In several statements given to investigators after his arrest, Shen claimed that he was keeping the drugs for a man known as Alan.
The Apex Court agreed with the trial judge that Alan did not lie to Shen that the drugs were cannabis instead of diamorphine.
Even if that were true, it was "unbelievable" that Shen would trust and believe Alan totally and accept his explanation at face value.
Justice Tay Yong Kwang, Justice Steven Chong and Justice Belinda Ang of the Court of Appeal said Shen was not "generally forthcoming and cooperative in the recording of investigation statements" as he claimed.
Instead, he was "far from being forthcoming" as he gave a blatantly false statement at one point that he did not know what grass was.
Later evidence would show that he was quite familiar with grass as he had helped Alan distribute this drug before, said the Court of Appeal.
The court noted that Shen had admitted he would deliver drugs to other people as directed by Alan.
Shen had been out of work for about two years before his arrest and was being paid by Alan to distribute the drugs.
There was also DNA evidence showing that he had repacked some of the drug packets, and there were drug-related paraphernalia such as clear wrap, empty packets and black tape that pointed to the fact that he was involved in the drug distribution.