TAIPING, May 13 — A fisherman and a restaurant assistant are jointly charged in the Magistrate’s Court here today with trafficking 21,037.10 grammes of heroin.

Mohd Fauzi Mohd Mokhtar, 42, and Dzulkarnai Maliki, 47, (rpt. Dzulkarnai) nodded after the charge was read out to them before Magistrate Nur Atiqah Sapari.

However, no plea was recorded from both of them.

Mohd Fauzi and Dzulkarnai were jointly charged with trafficking the drug in a parking area in front of Kedai Lam Loong Pohto House Sdn Bhd building, Jalan Medan Simpang here at about 11.15pm last May 3.

They were charged under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and can be punished under Section 39B(2) of the same law, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.

The offence provides the death penalty or life imprisonment with a term of not less than 30 years but not more than 40 years and not less than 12 lashes if not sentenced to death, upon conviction.

Deputy Public Prosecutor S. Nishaalini prosecuted, while the two accused were unrepresented.

The court did not offer bail and set July 12 for mention pending the chemical report. — Bernama