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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 | Over 6kg of drugs worth $313k seized in Sentosa hotel room, Shenton Way residence

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2 Singaporeans were arrested for suspected drug trafficking activities during an operation by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on Wednesday (July 27), with more than 6kg of controlled drugs seized.

The street value of all the drugs seized - 1,893g of heroin, 270g of Ice or crystal methamphetamine, 4,193g of cannabis and seven bottles of methadone - was estimated to be about $313,000.

The amount of heroin seized could feed about 900 abusers for a week, said CNB, while the amount of cannabis found could feed the addiction of some 600 abusers for a week.

On Wednesday evening, CNB officers arrested the two Singaporeans - a 41-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman - in a hotel room in Sentosa. There, 1,849g of heroin, 269g of Ice, 663g of cannabis and six bottles of methadone were found.

They were then taken to their hideout at a private residential enclave in the vicinity of Shenton Way early Thursday morning. There, 44g of heroin, 1g of Ice, 3,530g of cannabis and one bottle of methadone were recovered.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Aaron Tang, director of CNB's intelligence division, said of the operation: "Drug syndicates and traffickers will stop at nothing to manipulate and exploit drug abusers... all for their own profit and greed.

"These traffickers have no qualms that their luxurious lifestyles - lavish holidays, luxury cars and private residential apartments - are at the expense of other innocent parties, such as the children or loved ones of the drug abusers."

Investigations into the suspects' drug activities are ongoing.

Anyone found guilty of trafficking more than 15g of pure heroin, 250g of methamphetamine or 500g of cannabis, may face the death penalty.

Source: straitstimes.com, Staff, July 29, 2022





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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
Location: Singapore
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