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Indonesia | 14 years on death row: Timeline of Mary Jane Veloso’s ordeal and fight for justice

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MANILA, Philippines — The case of Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina on death row in Indonesia for drug trafficking, has spanned over a decade and remains one of the most high-profile legal battles involving an overseas Filipino worker. Veloso was arrested on April 25, 2010, at Adisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, after she was found in possession of more than 2.6 kilograms of heroin. She was sentenced to death in October – just six months after her arrest. Indonesia’s Supreme Court upheld the penalty in May 2011.

Singapore: Record heroin haul for CNB; 2 arrested

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The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) seized 6.5kg of heroin - the single largest haul of heroin this year - on Tuesday (Sep 23) in an operation to dismantle a local drug syndicate.

The operation also saw 1.3kg of cannabis seized, along with other drugs such as Ice, ecstasy, Erimin-5 tablets, CNB said in a press release on Wednesday. The drugs had a street value of about S$506,000, it added.

CNB staged a sting at a commercial building in Geylang. Its officers arrested two Singaporean men aged 44 and 46 in their car parked in the commercial building's compound. About 535g of heroin was recovered from the car, and a small amount of Ice was recovered from the older man.

CNB officers also raided a unit in the same commercial building which was believed to be the syndicate's hideout. They found the larger stash of heroin and cannabis there, and more than S$12,000. In addition, about 460g of heroin was recovered from the 44-year-old's home in Jalan Kayu.

Investigations are ongoing. If convicted, the 2 men may face the death penalty.

"The large amount of heroin seized could potentially feed the addiction of about 3,125 heroin abusers for a week," said CNB Director Ng Ser Song. He said CNB would continue to clamp down on drugs in Singapore. "Let this be a warning to the drug syndicates out there that Singapore will not tolerate any illicit drug activities."

Source: Channel News Asia, Sept. 24, 2014
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