Worker charged with trafficking 12.8kg of heroin at temple used to store drugs

KLANG: A part-time worker at an unregistered temple allegedly used by a syndicate to store drugs pleaded not guilty at the magistrate's court to trafficking 12.8kg of heroin.

Rahuraman William, 34, was accused of trafficking 12,835 grammes of heroin at the temple in Taman Menara Maju, Kampung Jawa, at 7pm on Oct 14.

The charge was framed under Section 39B(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and is punishable under Section 39B(2) of the same Act, which provides for the death penalty or life imprisonment.

If the death penalty is not imposed, the offender is liable to at least 15 strokes of the rotan.

William entered his plea before magistrate Nor Azilah Mat.

He was represented by lawyer Mark Jeyakumar, while deputy public prosecutor Salman Alfarisi Nawawi prosecuted.

The court fixed Jan 8 next year for mention.

Jeyakumar said his client had been denied bail and remanded at Sungai Buloh Prison.

He said William was arrested at the temple, which police believe had been used by a syndicate to store illicit drugs.

Last week, Selangor police chief Datuk Shazeli Kahar said the temple was among four locations raided by the state Narcotics Crime Investigation Department in five operations conducted across Selangor between Oct 13 and 19.

The operations targeted four syndicates and resulted in the seizure of various illicit drugs worth RM16.2 million, including cannabis buds, ecstasy, ketamine and heroin, he said.

Eight people, comprising six men and two women aged between 19 and 48, were arrested to assist investigations.

Shazeli said those arrested comprised three Malaysian men, one Malaysian woman and four foreigners.

The drugs were believed to have originated from a neighbouring country and were intended for local and international distribution, he added.