Indonesian man charged with trafficking over 20kg of methamphetamine
Munzir Abdurrahman, 50, nodded when the charge was read out to him before magistrate Normaizan Rahim.
However, no plea was recorded as the case falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
Munzir was charged with trafficking 20,850g (20.85kg) of methamphetamine at the parking lot of a shopping mall in Taman Melawati here at 12.38pm on 22 June.
The charge was framed under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, punishable under Section 39B(2) of the same Act, which carries the death penalty or life imprisonment and whipping of not less than 12 strokes if not sentenced to death upon conviction.
The court fixed Oct 3 for mention to allow for the submission of the chemical report.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
High Court in Singapore orders Instagram seller to pay Louis Vuitton S$200,000 in damages over counterfeit goods
SINGAPORE: An Instagram seller who sold fake Louis Vuitton items as authentic and ghosted the High Court during court proceedings has been ordered to pay S$200,000 in damages to the French luxury fashion house for trademark infringements. Ng Hoe Seng, operating under Instagram accounts 'emcase_sg' and 'emcrafts_sg', sold counterfeit goods such as phone cases, passport covers, card holders and purses through the social media platform. The fakes were passed off as genuine and sold at a fraction of the price of the real items – a fake passport cover, for instance, was priced at $159, compared with $560 to $945 for the real thing. Louis Vuitton Malletier (LVM) discovered the infringements in July 2022 and conducted a sting operation. A representative made test purchases worth $2,100 from Ng's first Instagram account 'emcase_sg'. LVM confirmed the goods were counterfeit and issued a cease-and-desist letter in March 2023. Instead of stopping, Ng shifted operations to a new Instagram account, 'emcrafts_sg', and resumed sales. To catch him again, an LVM representative made a second undercover purchase. The company later filed a lawsuit in August 2023. Ng ignored the proceedings and did not appear in court. On Nov 30, 2023, the High Court ruled in LVM's favour and went on to assess damages. Computing its damages, LVM said it should be awarded $4.84 million in damages but claimed $2.9 million against Ng – based on 29 infringing acts at $100,000 each, the statutory cap. But Justice Dedar Singh Gill disagreed with the claims. 'The claimant's proposed quantum of $2.9 million is grossly excessive,' he said in a written judgment on July 2. He limited the maximum award to $900,000, or $100,000 for each of the nine different types of goods where there were infringements, ultimately awarding $200,000. While LVM argued that the counterfeits dilute its brand, the judge questioned the financial impact. 'I have my doubts as to whether the claimant will suffer lost sales in any significant way... knock-offs of luxury goods are usually not substitutable with the genuine goods.' He added: 'One must bear in mind that the defendant is a sole proprietor operating through a social media channel. He is not a large-scale manufacturer who has distributed the offending goods to other retailers and sparked other chains of infringement.' In his judgment, Justice Gill highlighted the deceptive marketing tactics Ng used to promote the fake products on Instagram. 'The defendant's modus operandi when it came to promoting his products was to re-post Instagram posts and/or stories by customers who had purchased his products... ostensibly with the aim of thanking them and showing off their rave reviews,' he said. 'In my view, this has the effect of compounding the defendant's false representations.' He added that Ng had 'deployed his coterie of 'influencers' to propagate the misrepresentation about his 'authentic' products more widely to his followers and the public at large'. In his judgment, Justice Gill highlighted the deceptive marketing tactics Ng used to promote the fake products on Instagram. Justice Gill also addressed Ng's claim on Instagram that the products were 'upcycled' from real Louis Vuitton goods. 'This was a lie upon a lie which compounded the false representation perpetrated upon members of the public,' he wrote. Upcycling typically refers to the reuse of discarded material or waste to create a product of higher value or quality than the original. The judge further warned of the risks posed by online sellers who can easily evade enforcement. 'Such online retailers can easily spread out all of their eggs in multiple baskets by setting up different online platforms at relatively low costs to sell their goods,' he said. 'An online retailer can avail himself of a hydra-like approach to continuing his infringement – in that even if one head is sliced off, another can easily spring up.' Ng Hoe Seng, operating under Instagram accounts 'emcase_sg' and 'emcrafts_sg', sold counterfeit goods such as phone cases, passport covers, card holders and purses through the social media platform. Justice Gill criticised Ng for flouting a previous court order by making his Instagram account private – while still allowing his followers to view it. 'It was clearly an attempt by the defendant to mask his infringing activities (and potentially continue the infringement).' The judge also rebuked Ng over his refusal to take part in the legal proceedings. 'The defendant did not participate in any part of these proceedings, thus depriving the claimant of an opportunity to discover the full extent of his infringement to prosecute its claim and quantify its losses,' he wrote. 'A strong message needs to be sent to the defendant that he may be able to run from the claimant, but he will not be able to hide from the long arms of the law.' The judge further warned of the risks posed by online sellers who can easily evade enforcement. Justice Gill concluded: 'The defendant has shown himself to be a recalcitrant infringer, and he will need to face the consequences accordingly.' LVM was represented by lawyers Ravindran Muthucumarasamy, Chan Wenqiang and Neo Xuan Hao Edwin from Ravindran Associates. Ng was unrepresented. Despite the High Court victory, it remains uncertain whether LVM will recover the $200,000. As at July 3, Ng's registered business EMCASE SG has ceased registration with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority and his two known Instagram accounts have vanished. However, a similarly named account – ' – remains active, appearing to sell Louis Vuitton-branded goods. - The Straits Times/ANN
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Gunshots fired during arrest attempt in Beaufort
KOTA KINABALU: Gunshots were fired, sparking a 10km chase when three suspected drug dealers tried to run over police officers during a raid in the Beaufort district. The suspects, travelling in a single vehicle, refused to stop when police officers attempted to pull them over after intercepting their car along Jalan Membakut around 4.15AM on Friday (July 4). Beaufort OCPD Supt. Wong Leong Meng stated that during the raid, known as Ops Gempur, the officers shouted 'police' at the suspects, instructing them to exit the vehicle. However, the driver accelerated forward, nearly hitting the officers. In response, the police were compelled to fire several shots at the car's front tyres to protect themselves. A chase ensued, ultimately concluding when the suspects' vehicle was intercepted once again near Kampung Lumat, approximately 10km away. The suspects exited the car and attempted to flee into a nearby bushy area, resulting in the arrest of two individuals. One suspect managed to escape. The two apprehended suspects, aged 18 and 29, were found in possession of a total of 51.28g of syabu (methamphetamine), valued at RM3,800. The drugs were discovered in the pocket of one suspect's pants. Both individuals were taken to the police station to aid in the investigation, and the drugs, vehicle and cell phones were confiscated. One of the suspects had four previous drug-related convictions, while the teenager had a clean record. Both are being detained under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. Supt Wong mentioned that a manhunt had been launched to locate the escaped suspect and called on the public to assist the police by providing any information that could aid in capturing the suspect and solving this case.
New Straits Times
6 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Shut out the outside noise, continue your roar
MALAYSIA crushed Vietnam 4-0 last month at a packed National Stadium in Bukit Jalil in a display of dominance, flair and newfound depth. But instead of praise, Harimau Malaya have been pelted with abuse. Social media exploded. Fans from Indonesia and Vietnam accused Malaysia of manipulating the system. Conspiracy theories spread like wildfire. Some even demanded FIFA intervention. And the reason? Not how they played, but who played. That night, nine of Malaysia's starting 11 were naturalised players. Fifteen in total were listed on the team sheet. Six made their international debuts — Facundo Garces, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Rodrigo Hidalgo, Gabriel Palmero and Jon Irazabal. None were born in Malaysia, but all, according to the FA of Malaysia (FAM), are of Malaysian descent and had their documents vetted and approved by FIFA. Still, that didn't stop some quarters from crying foul. Indonesian media outlet Disway ID kicked off the storm, claiming FAM could face a US$2 million fine, the Vietnam result overturned, and even be banned from naturalising players in future if any documents are found to be false. One Indonesian fan site labelled Malaysia's approach "football piracy". But FAM moved swiftly to shut down the noise. "FIFA has checked. We followed the rules and regulations," said FAM president Datuk Joehari Ayub. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) backed that stance, with general-secretary Datuk Seri Windsor Paul confirming that no complaint had been lodged with the regional body and that all player eligibility matters fall under FIFA's jurisdiction. FAM secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman added: "We have not received any letters from FIFA or AFC. We followed all the regulations. We deny all those statements." So far, FIFA has remained silent. No red flags. No warnings. No sanctions. No signs of any wrongdoing. But this uproar isn't just about technicalities. It's about identity, perception, and pride, and a growing unease among fans and regional rivals over how quickly Harimau Malaya are changing. Naturalisation isn't new in this part of the world. Indonesia have long benefited from Dutch-Indonesian dual nationals, a by-product of colonial history. But the move has come good as Indonesia could qualify for next year's World Cup. The Philippines built an entire football programme around American and European-born Filipinos. Singapore experimented with imports in the early 2000s. Even Timor Leste brought in a wave of Brazilian players — but that ended in disaster when it was discovered their documents had been forged, triggering a massive FIFA and AFC probe. The players had no family ties to East Timor, just falsified baptism and birth records. The scandal rocked Asian football. But comparing Timor Leste to Malaysia is lazy and misguided. FAM has done its homework. All the players in question have documented Malaysian roots. FIFA has scrutinised and cleared their files. Everything, on paper and in practice, is in order. The real issue, perhaps, is that Malaysia are finally becoming a threat. Harimau Malaya are no longer just a "potential" side. They're a team with depth, technical ability and physical presence. Players like Figueiredo and Garces are not just passengers, they are game-changers. The victory over Vietnam sent a clear message across Southeast Asia — Malaysia are here to compete and dominate. And that's made some uncomfortable. There's a sense that this isn't about fairness, but fear. A fear that Malaysia's aggressive talent recruitment might tilt the regional balance. And locally, the backlash is mixed. Some fans are proud of the results. Others worry the national identity is being diluted. It's a delicate line. But it's not illegal. Nor is it unethical as long as the ancestry claims are legitimate and the paperwork checks out. International football has always been a reflection of a country's global footprint — migration, diaspora, dual nationality. The world is changing, and football is changing with it. FAM must now hold its ground. Not by shouting down critics, but by calmly reinforcing the facts: FIFA rules were followed. No violations occurred. The team are legitimate. If anything, this backlash is proof that Malaysia are doing something right. They've rattled their rivals. They've changed the conversation. And above all, they're finally winning again. The challenge now is to build trust with their fan base and prove that these new additions are not just "imports", but part of the Harimau Malaya family ready to fight for the badge. The noise may continue. The accusations may resurface. But if Malaysia keep playing the way they did against Vietnam, the football will do the talking. And it might just drown out the rest.
