• Muhammad Shahrukh Khan Mohamed Rosli escaped the death penalty after pleading guilty to reduced charges 
• He previously underwent reformative training for similar drug offences
• A man known only as Ah Bang paid him to deliver and repack cannabis
• Shahrukh gave some to another man for safekeeping; both were arrested on the same day

SINGAPORE — Fresh out of reformative training for drug consumption and trafficking, Muhammad Shahrukh Khan Mohamed Rosli soon slipped back into his old ways.

Last year, Shahrukh and his teenage girlfriend were nabbed at a Jurong West multi-storey car park. 

Officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) found several blocks of cannabis in their car, which bore a fake vehicle registration number.

Shahrukh was helping a man identified only as Ah Bang to repack and deliver the controlled drug. He also sold cannabis to his own clients, usually at S$200 for 50g.

Shahrukh, who is now 22, was sentenced to 27 years’ jail and the maximum 24 strokes of the cane in the High Court on Monday (Aug 24). 

He pleaded guilty to two reduced charges each of trafficking and possessing at least 499.99g of cannabis, also known as marijuana or weed.

Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, those convicted of trafficking more than 500g of cannabis face the mandatory death penalty. 

Shahrukh previously faced capital charges. When contacted by TODAY, the Attorney-General’s Chambers declined to comment on why the charges were reduced.

Shahrukh also admitted to consuming methamphetamine, another controlled drug otherwise known as ice. For that, he was liable for stiffer punishment after being convicted of methamphetamine consumption in 2016.

Nine other charges — including the possession of 19.05g of ecstasy and 3.52g of diamorphine for trafficking purposes — were considered for sentencing.

At the time of his offences, he had just completed his reformative training sentence — a regimented rehabilitation programme for offenders under 21 who commit relatively serious crimes. Offenders are given a minimum period of reformative training, subject to how they respond to the rehabilitation.

HOW IT STARTED

In February last year, a friend of Shahrukh’s introduced him to Ah Bang while they were in Geylang.

Shahrukh was under a drug supervision order imposed in November 2018 after he completed his reformative training sentence.

In the first two months under the order, he obtained medical certificates to cover his absences for routine urine tests. He later absconded after he returned to consuming methamphetamine.

Knowing Shahrukh was wanted by CNB for failing to report for urine tests, Ah Bang gave Shahrukh a mobile phone SIM card so that he may contact him if he needed help.

Ah Bang also lent Shahrukh a car for personal use, on the condition that he helped Ah Bang deliver drugs. He told Shahrukh that he spent S$3,000 to get the car and that it had a fake vehicle plate number.

Shahrukh agreed to the plan. He would go to a specified location, leave the car’s window or boot open for a runner to deposit the drugs there, and deliver them to clients by leaving the drugs in the unlocked car for them to collect.

Before his arrest on March 15 last year, he had helped Ah Bang on at least three occasions to pack and deliver drugs, receiving S$100 to S$200 each time. 

With this money, he bought more drugs for himself.

He also used the proceeds from selling cannabis to his own clients to buy subsequent batches of supply for sale. 

HANDED DRUGS TO A MAN FOR SAFEKEEPING

The evening before Shahrukh’s arrest, a man identified as Gunalan Goval handed seven blocks of cannabis to Shahrukh at a car park in Pandan Loop near Clementi. 

Shahrukh then went to pick up his girlfriend, before meeting another man — 30-year-old Muhammad Haikal Mohamadan — to collect a grinder for drug preparation.

The two men had first met in a secret society early last year. 

Shahrukh handed five blocks of cannabis to Haikal — weighing at least 2.377kg — for safekeeping. He did not want to carry too much of it in case he was caught.

In return, Haikal cut out a portion to keep for his own use.

Shahrukh and his girlfriend stayed at a car park at Block 854A Jurong West Street 81 for some time before CNB officers arrested them. He had at least 940.53g of cannabis with him.

A separate group of CNB officers arrested Haikal in his flat nearby. He had thrown the portion he set aside for his own use out of his master bedroom window.

Shahrukh’s urine was later found to contain methamphetamine.

Shahrukh’s lawyer Luke Lee told the court that his client began consuming the drug in 2016 when he was “in the company of drug users”. 

After completing reformative training, he worked as an inspector at an import-and-export firm before applying to study in the Institute of Technical Education College East in Simei.

“But not long after, although he had resolved to quit drugs, he fell back into consuming it,” Mr Lee said.

He added that Ah Bang had taken advantage of Shahrukh’s youthful vulnerability.

Haikal will be dealt with separately.

For trafficking or possessing at least 499.99g of cannabis, Shahrukh could have been jailed up to 30 years or for life. 

Both offences carry a minimum punishment of 20 years’ jail and 15 strokes of the cane.