5 years 9 months’ jail, 5 strokes of the cane for fish breeder who trafficked cannabis

• Anti-narcotics officers arrested Derek Koh Kai Sheng on Dec 4, 2019
• Koh pleaded guilty to a charge each of trafficking cannabis, possessing lysergide and keeping utensils meant for drug consumption
• He had bought the cannabis with the intention of reselling it

SINGAPORE — A 23-year-old man was sentenced by a district court on Tuesday (June 29) to five years and nine months’ jail, and five strokes of the cane, for trafficking and possession of controlled drugs, including cannabis.

Derek Koh Kai Sheng had pleaded guilty to a charge each for trafficking cannabis, possessing the hallucinogen lysergide — also known as LSD — and keeping utensils meant for drug consumption. Three other drug-related charges were taken into consideration for his sentencing.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Pearly Ang told the court that Koh was a self-employed fish breeder when he was arrested on Dec 4, 2019. He had been an “on-and-off” recreational cannabis user since he was 18. 

While the prosecutor did not state what led to Koh’s arrest by Central Narcotics Bureau officers at his Buangkok Crescent home, she said that the officers were able to seize evidence related to Koh’s charges, including at least 77.26 grams of cannabis.

During investigations, Koh revealed that he had bought the cannabis from a supplier known as “Joe” or “Joey Joe”, and he was intending to resell one brick of it for S$350 to others. DPP Ang did not elaborate on the size of each brick of cannabis.

Among the other items seized from Koh’s house was a piece of paper with two stamps on it, which were analysed by the Illicit Drug Laboratory of the Health Sciences Authority to contain lysergide.

Koh admitted that he had it in his possession for his own consumption, having used LSD sometime in September that year.

As for the drug utensils, they were meant for grinding the stems of cannabis into a fine powder, which Koh then rolled into joints meant for his own consumption as well, DPP Ang said. 

Pleading for a lighter sentence for his client, defence lawyer SS Dhillon of Dhillon & Panoo said that Koh was only 23 years old and had promised never to dabble in drugs anymore, because the events that followed the arrest had left him “completely shell shocked”.

“This has been a wake-up call and he is determined to extricate himself from the pits of destruction,” Mr Dhillon said. 

“Since he had been charged, he had sunk into depths of despondency and this has affected his family life, too. They are a close-knit family and Derek has vowed not to disappoint them in future.”

In response, District Judge Toh Yung Cheong told Koh that he has come across numerous similar cases in which an accused is released from prison, only to find themselves tempted to take the same path again due to the company they keep. 

“When I see these young people, I ask them, ‘Why do you do it again?’ They said, ‘It’s my friends, it’s not my fault’. It is always the same,” District Judge Toh said.

“As a young person… you do have a long future ahead of you,” he added. “Please find new friends. Do not go back to the same people again.”

The mandatory minimum sentence for trafficking cannabis is five years' jail and five strokes of the cane. The maximum is 20 years' jail and 15 strokes of the cane.