Repeat offender jailed 8 years, caned for drug-related offences
POSTED: 06 Jun 2013 1:15 PM
SINGAPORE: A repeat offender has been handed an eight-year jail term and ordered to receive five strokes of the cane for drug-related offences.
Selvam V Katorain was convicted of trafficking 0.31 grammes of cannabis mixture in August 2011.
The 39-year-old had brought the Class A controlled drug to Ang Mo Kio MRT station to sell it to an 18-year-old.
Katorain also admitted to one count of consumption of cannabis in September 2011.
Five other cannabis trafficking charges were also taken into consideration for sentencing purposes.
Investigations found that Katorain sold the cannabis mixtures to mainly international students, one of whom was only 13 years old.
In pleading for leniency, the accused asked the judge to give him a chance to do his best in life again.
His defence lawyer added that Katorain is academically inclined and would be able to turn his life around if given a chance.
However the court noted that the accused was previously taken to task over drug trafficking and consumption charges.
He was released from corrective training in April 2008.
Katorain was arrested in an 18-hour island wide blitz by the Central Narcotics Bureau.
- CNA/jc
