Traffickers to face death penalty in KL

Traffickers to face death penalty in KL

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia said yesterday traffickers of the drug "Ecstasy" would be charged under the Dangerous Drugs Act, which carries a mandatory death sentence.

"It will be up to the courts to decide whether (the accused) is a user or a trafficker, depending on the amount he is caught with," Health Minister Chua Jui Meng said.

Malaysia's strict drug laws do not say what amount of Ecstacy would constitute trafficking, and Chua said the Home Ministry and other relevant authorities would have to set a minimum amount.

Malaysian drugs law provides for a mandatory death sentence for anyone caught with more than 15 grams of heroin, 200 grams of cannabis or one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of opium.

The so-called designer drug Ecstacy has just surfaced here. Chua warned that children of Malaysia's emerging middle-class searching for "new thrills" could be tempted to take Ecstasy. The pills are reported to be selling for 160 ringgit (US$60) each.