Australian man faces death in Malaysia over drugs

A West Australian man is facing the death penalty in Malaysia after being formerly charged with drug trafficking.

Perth man Dominic Jude Christopher Bird, 32, was refused bail after his appearance in the Malaysian High Court on Friday, where he was officially charged under section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act - which carries the mandatory death penalty.

Bird's lawyer, Malaysian-based Australian Tani Scivetti, said she had been denied access to her client and was only informed of Bird's High Court appearance and formal charges late in the afternoon.

Bird was arrested by undercover officers during a police sting at a coffee shop in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur on March 1, where police alleged he tried to sell them 225g of methamphetamines.

A search of his nearby apartment uncovered a smaller quantity of drugs and led to the arrests of two local men and a Filipino woman, who are also in custody.

Under Malaysian law, a person convicted of possessing more than 50g of methamphetamines is declared a drug trafficker and faces a mandatory death sentence.

Click here to read the full article

Source: news.ninemsn, March 9, 2012

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