KUCHING: A mother of five has been sentenced to five years and two months in prison by the Sessions Court here after being found guilty of repeated substance abuse.
Mariana Dan, 39, from Kampung Tabuan Hilir, pleaded guilty before Judge Iris Awen Jon to the charge read to her by an interpreter.
According to the charge, she had two previous drug-related offenses, including a case in 2022 under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
In the latest offense, she was found to have abused amphetamine and methamphetamine for the third time at the Kuching Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division (NCID) at about 3.35 pm on Nov 30, 2024.
She was charged under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, punishable under Section 39C(1)(b) of the same Act.
Upon conviction, Section 15(1)(a) provides for a maximum fine of RM5,000 or imprisonment for up to two years or both, while Section 39C(1)(b) stipulates a prison sentence of up to seven years and a maximum of three lashes of the cane.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered Mariana to be placed under police supervision for two years upon her release.
Based on the case facts, narcotics police arrested Mariana on suspicion of repeated substance abuse. An initial urine screening tested positive for drugs, and a subsequent report from the Sarawak General Hospital’s (SGH) Pathology Department confirmed the presence of methamphetamine and amphetamine in her system.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Aiman Mutallib Mohamad Shariff prosecuted the case, while Mariana was unrepresented by counsel.
