Three Indians freed of drug charge in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR - Three people of Indian origin - two of them brothers - have been acquitted by a high court in Malaysia of drug trafficking charges.

Judicial commissioner Ahmad Nasfy Yasin ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the three, a media report said Friday.

Brothers Tivagar Vadivelu, 35, and Shashiendran, 28, both from Setapak in Selangor state and Premkumar Shanmugathan, 27, from Kajang were charged with trafficking 25.7 g of drugs (15.59 g heroin and 10.11g monoacetylmorphine) Feb 16, 2009.

Yasin ruled that the prosecution failed to prove that the trio had common intention to traffic the drugs and there was a loophole in handling the exhibits as they could have been tampered with from the time they were collected, preserved and sent for testing to the chemist.

“The difference in the colour of the drugs found, which was said to be chocolate and then white, also raised doubts, and points to an incomplete investigation by the police,” New Straits Times quoted him as saying.

Malaysia is home to 2.7 million people of Indian origin.