IRANIAN GETS DEATH FOR TRAFFICKING METH

SHAH ALAM (Selangor, Malaysia), Nov 22 (Bernama) -- An Iranian man was
sentenced to death for trafficking 1,001gm of methamphetamine at KL
International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang in June last year.

High Court Judge Mohtarudin Baki meted out the sentence after finding
Rouhollah Ahmadzadeh Irandoust, 50, guilty of committing the offence at
the passenger inspection unit of KLIA arrival hall at 3.50am on June 14, last
year.

Rouhollah, represented by Gooi Soon Seng, was charged under Section 39B of
the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which carries the mandatory death sentence.

Mohtarudin said the accused, in his defence, had denied that he was the one
who brought the luggage containing the drug while arriving at KLIA and claimed
that it was his friend, Mushtaba, who carried the bag.

"The accused claimed that while he and Mushtaba were told to scan the
luggage, his friend went out to smoke. They were later taken to the Customs'
inspection centre after the scan showed the image of a suspicious object," he
said.

However, the judge said, testimonies from the prosecution's witnesses showed
that it was the accused who took out a key for the luggage and that the clothing
inside the bag was consistent with his size.

"This goes to show that the accused had knowledge about the drug and had the
intention to commit the offence," he said, adding that the defence failed to
raise reasonable doubt against the prosecution's case.

Seven prosecution witnesses and two defence witness were called throughout
the trial.
-- BERNAMA