Ecstasy sentencing guidelines might be reviewed following an unprecedented surge in the use of the drug in Hong Kong, a court heard yesterday.
The move was revealed during the sentencing hearing of Suen Yung-yung, 39, also known as Yuyun Sunjaya, and Kusnadi Ridwan, 42, who were caught smuggling 9.75kg of Ecstasy - or 60,157 tablets - with a street value of up to $21 million into Hong Kong from Indonesia on September 11 last year.
Suen had pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to traffic in a dangerous drug. Ridwan admitted conspiring to traffic Hong Kong's largest seizure of Ecstasy.
Deputy Judge Bernard Whaley, in the Court of First Instance, adjourned sentencing until Friday.
Counsel for the Government, Michael Blanchflower, SC, said: 'The Secretary of Justice, after this case, will give consideration to asking the Court of Appeal to revise the guidelines [set in a previous case].'
Mr Blanchflower told the court the guidelines set by the Court of Appeal in the 1998 case involving Lee Tak-kwan established a starting point of eight years for more than 800 grams of Ecstasy.