KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 — The son of a former Malaysian ambassador will remain in police custody for a further five days for an investigation into the discovery of over 100 cannabis trees at the diplomat’s property in Janda Baik, Pahang.
The former diplomat’s son was arrested on May 23 and had been placed under a seven-day remand from May 24 to May 30 for the investigation.
With today being the end of the initial remand period, the son’s lawyer Rahmat Hazlan confirmed to Malay Mail that the police had applied to the court for a further remand of seven days.
Rahmat said magistrate Shahrul Ekhsan Hasim in the Magistrates’ Court in Bentong, Pahang, agreed for the remand for the son to be extended for five days.
“Magistrate allowed extension of remand for five days until 4th June,” he said.
As for the former diplomat, he was arrested on May 21 and had been remanded for seven days until yesterday, with the same magistrate — Shahrul Ekhsan — yesterday refusing the police’s application to further extend his remand.
"The police sought to apply for a second remand for another seven days but this was not granted by the magistrate after he was satisfied that there is no evidence to implicate him with any offences, amongst others,” Rahmat told Malay Mail yesterday regarding the former diplomat.
According to Rahmat, both the former diplomat and his son were being investigated under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, specifically Section 6B for alleged cultivation of cannabis and Section 39B for alleged trafficking of cannabis.
Section 6B covers the offence of planting or cultivating certain plants — from which raw opium, coca leaves, poppy-straw or cannabis can be obtained — or allowing the planting or remaining of such planted plants on property owned or occupied by the offender.
Section 39B covers the offence of trafficking in dangerous drugs, or offering to traffic or doing or offering to do actions in preparation or for the purpose of trafficking dangerous drugs.
On May 24, Pahang police chief Datuk Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said the police had raided the former diplomat’s property and confiscated 102 cannabis trees at an estimated value of RM61,200 and other items.
Out of the 102 trees, police had found 60 of them planted and eight in a tent, while 34 of them are young trees.
Ramli had said the case is considered the largest seizure of cannabis trees in the country's narcotics history, with previous seizures involving only cannabis trees grown in pots.
