Part-time insurance agent pleads not guilty to trafficking cannabis

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The accused (second right) accompanied by Customs officers outside the courtroom with her legal counsel Roger Chin (left).

KUCHING (Nov 30): A part-time insurance agent pleaded not guilty in the High Court here today to a charge of trafficking 17.55 kilograms of cannabis.

Maxine Rose Frederick, 27, pleaded not guilty when the amended charge was read out by the court interpreter to her before Judge Datuk Zaleha Rose Pandin.

The Court then set the case for re-mention on January 4 next year to monitor service of trial documents.

Meanwhile, while waiting for the re-mention of the case, the accused will be remanded in Puncak Borneo Prison.

The accused from Kampung Cemerlang here was charged with committing the offence at the Kuching International Airport (KIA) arrival hall on April 28 this year.

She was charged under Section 39B (1) (a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, and if convicted can be punished under Section 39 B (2) of the same act, which provides for death penalty or life imprisonment, and a minimum of 15 whippings if not sentenced to death.

Earlier, the media reported that the Royal Malaysian Customs Department detained the accused who arrived on a flight from Kuala Lumpur along with a hand luggage she carried.

Customs officers at the Special Passenger Inspection Unit then scanned the luggage she was carrying and found suspicious images from the scan.

Upon checking the luggage, the officers  found 18 packets of cannabis weighing 17.55 kilograms (after the chemist report)), packed with gift wrapping and carbon papers.

The accused was also said to be interested in a job offer at a company in Serian promised by a friend whom she met in Kuala Lumpur, who asked her to bring the luggage with her to Kuching.

The accused was represented by her legal counsels Roger Chin and Osman Ibrahim, while the prosecution was handled by the Deputy Public Prosecutor Musli Abd Hamid.