S'pore to hang marijuana dealer

S'pore to hang marijuana dealer

SINGAPORE (AP): A Singapore man has been sentenced to death by
hanging after being found guilty of dealing in marijuana, his
lawyer said on Friday.

Ashok Kumar Giri, 45, was given the death penalty for drug
trafficking after being caught with five blocks of marijuana
weighing a total of 2.37 kilograms, lawyer S.S. Dhillon said.

Mohamed Abdul Nasser Mohamood, who was arrested with Ashok,
was acquitted, Dhillon said.

Under Singapore's strict drug laws, anyone found with over 500
grams of marijuana is presumed to be trafficking in the drug and
faces the death penalty.

A total of 247 people were executed for drug offenses in the
period from 1991 through 2000, according to official figures
released earlier this year.