Malaysia to hang Indian for drug trafficking

Bahurudeen Mohamed Yusoff Ghaney was caught at the Penang International Airport with 10 kg of ketamine last year. He was travelling from India. Ghaney, 41, broke down when High Court judicial commissioner Mohammed Amin Firdaus Abdullah Wednesday sent him to the gallows.

He sobbed in the dock when the decision was read out, the New Straits Times reported on its website. Ghaney was accused of committing the offence at the Passenger Checks Special Unit at the arrival hall of the airport, about 6.15 p.m., Jan 14 last year.

The judge said the defence had failed to raise reasonable doubt on the prosecution's case. The court also found there was no merit for Ghaney's defence. Ghaney in his defence said that the bag containing the drugs was given to him by his neighbour Farouk, who told him to bring it to Malaysia.

The accused said that he did not know the contents of the bag and he only found out the contents at the airport here. "As a highly educated man, won't you ask yourself, what was in the bag? You would not simply bring the bag," the court said.

"When somebody gives you RM3,000 ($953) as expenses, and when on return to Madras you would get another 10,000 rupees ... it is unreasonable," the court said.