Couple Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison For Trafficking 173kg Of Methamphetamine

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 – The High Court on Friday, October 30, 2026, sentenced a Malaysian man and his Vietnamese partner to 30 years in prison each after finding them guilty of trafficking nearly 173kg of methamphetamine in 2022.

Judge Nurulhuda Nur’aini Mohamad Nor handed down the sentence on Adam Tan Seng Tek, 34, and Vietnamese national Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh, 33, ruling that the defence failed to raise reasonable doubt at the close of its case.

“The court finds that the prosecution has successfully proven its case beyond reasonable doubt and finds both accused guilty and convicted on the charge,” Judge Nurulhuda held.

The court ordered both prison terms to run from the date of their arrest on February 24, 2022. In addition to the custodial sentence, Tan was ordered to receive 12 strokes of the cane, while Nguyen was spared caning in accordance with law prohibiting corporal punishment for female offenders.

The couple was charged with jointly trafficking 172,741.10 grams (172.74kg) of methamphetamine inside a condominium unit at Residensi Kiara Jalil 1 in Kuala Lumpur at 9:30 PM on February 24, 2022.

The charge was framed under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which carries either the death penalty or life imprisonment (not fewer than 30 years and up to 40 years) with a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane.

During sentencing submissions, Deputy Public Prosecutor Goh Ai Rene pressed for a heavy custodial sentence, pointing to the immense quantity of seized illicit drugs and the public interest.

“In this case, I urge the court to take into account the weight of the drugs involved as well as public interest, apart from the fact that the second accused (Nguyen) is a foreign national who committed the offence in this country,” Goh submitted, emphasizing that narcotics pose a direct threat to national security and public health.

Defense counsel Kee Wei Loon, representing both accused, pleaded for a life sentence rather than capital punishment, citing recent sentencing trends following statutory reforms to the mandatory death penalty in drug trafficking cases.

Trial Verdict, Offense Details, and Legal Provisions

Key judicial findings, charge parameters, and legal provisions include:

• 30-Year Prison Terms: Adam Tan Seng Tek (34) and Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh (33) sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment each, backdated to their arrest on February 24, 2022.
• Corporal Punishment: Tan received 12 mandatory strokes of the cane alongside his 30-year prison sentence.
• Seizure Location & Volume: Conviction involves 172.74kg (172,741.10g) of methamphetamine seized at Residensi Kiara Jalil 1, Kuala Lumpur.
• Statutory Charge: Prosecuted under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.

–NMT