NSF who sold cannabis on the side gets jail and caning for drug trafficking

SINGAPORE: A full-time national serviceman who sold cannabis on the side was nabbed at a military camp after the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) arrested one of his customers. 
Min Soe Htat, a 26-year-old Myanmar national and Singapore permanent resident, was sentenced on Monday (Aug 12) to five years and one month’s jail and 10 strokes of the cane.
He pleaded guilty to two charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) for trafficking 3.3g of cannabis and possessing 21.87g of cannabis for the purposes of trafficking, with another two charges considered in sentencing.
The court heard that Min Soe Htat had purchased 50g of cannabis from another seller for S$420 (US$317) on Oct 6, 2023.
He split the cannabis into six packets, intending to sell them to his customers. He had eight regular customers who would buy the drug from him, and he would spend the profits on his personal expenses.
At about 3pm on Oct 10, 2023, CNB officers arrested co-accused Nyi Thu San, one of Min Soe Htat’s customers.
They then headed to a military camp, where they arrested Min Soe Htat about one-and-a-half hours later.
The officers searched Min Soe Htat’s home and seized multiple drug-related exhibits, including six packets that were found to contain at least 21.87 of cannabis in total.
Cannabis is a Class A controlled drug under the MDA.
Min Soe Htat admitted knowing that the packets contained cannabis and cannabis mixture, and said he intended to traffic it to other people.
Investigations revealed that Nyi Thu San got to know Min Soe Htat in July 2023 and began buying cannabis from him thereafter.
In October 2023, Nyi Thu San bought 15g of cannabis from Min Soe Htat for S$300.
At 11pm on Oct 7, 2023, Min Soe Htat placed the package behind a water pipe at a staircase landing of a Housing Board block in Bukit Batok.
Nyi Thu San later retrieved the package and consumed the cannabis.
The prosecutor sought a jail term of between five years and five years and one month’s jail for Min Soe Htat, along with 10 strokes of the cane.
She said Min Soe Htat had regular clientele and was “gradually expanding his offerings to include methamphetamine on top of cannabis”.
He was also “motivated by the desire for wrongful financial gain”, she said.
Defence lawyer Mr Ashvin Hariharan from IRB Law largely agreed with the prosecution on the sentence sought, asking for the mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ jail and five strokes of the cane per charge.
He said his client was not involved in directing or organising drug trade on a commercial scale, nor was he involved in a drug syndicate.
His client also did not involve others in the operation, nor did he take active steps to avoid detection, and he has no prior convictions.
For trafficking a Class A controlled drug, he could have been given between five years’ and 20 years’ jail, and between five and 15 strokes of the cane.