A MAN who was found in possession of 120 grams of narcotic just two months after being released from a drug addiction treatment centre was yesterday sentenced to eight years' jail at the High Court. Glass worker Ng Man-keung, 35, had pleaded guilty before Mr Justice Leong to two counts of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The judge said Ng, being an addict, should have known how serious the consequences were. He saw no real mitigating factors except Ng's co-operation with the police, his readiness to confess and his guilty plea. Senior Crown Counsel Ms Laura Millar told the court that Ng was stopped by police on anti-narcotics duties as he was leaving his Mongkok flat on the afternoon of September 6. More than 30 grams of a heroin mixture were found in his bag and he also admitted that he sold the white powder to make a living. A cubicle rented in his name was also searched and almost 90 grams of drugs were discovered inside a tool box, together with packing materials. His counsel, Mr Andy Hung, said Ng was lured into using heroin by curiosity at the age of 22 and ended up becoming an addict. He managed to kick his habit in 1985 when he met his wife but had had a relapse last year, resulting in him being convicted for a drug offence and sent to a drug addiction treatment centre. After he was released, said counsel, he needed money and a place to live, and let a friend talk him into becoming a courier for a free supply and accommodation. Ng was not a professional trafficker, said Mr Hung, asking the court for leniency.
