Singapore executes man for trafficking heroin, its 5th hanging this year
- Mohamed Shalleh Adul Latiff became the 16th prisoner sent to the gallows since the city state resumed executions in 2022 after a two-year pause during the pandemic
- The UN has called for Singapore to impose a moratorium on the death penalty, but the government insists it is an effective deterrent against drug trafficking
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Mohamed Shalleh Adul Latiff was sentenced to death for possessing around 55gm of heroin “for the purpose of trafficking” in 2019.
His punishment was carried out on Thursday, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said in a statement.
According to court documents, Mohamed Shalleh worked as a delivery driver before his arrest in 2016. During his trial, he claimed to have believed he was delivering contraband cigarettes for a friend to whom he owed money.
He became the 16th prisoner sent to the gallows since the government resumed executions in March 2022 after a two-year pause during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Singapore’s 11 hangings add to record year for executions worldwide in 2022
The execution comes less than a week after Singapore executed the first woman in nearly 20 years for drug trafficking despite condemnation from rights groups.
Saridewi Binte Djamani, a 45-year-old Singaporean, was executed on Friday for trafficking around 30gm of heroin.
A local man, Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, 57, had been hanged two days earlier for trafficking about 50gm of heroin.
The United Nations last week denounced the hangings and called for Singapore to impose a moratorium on the death penalty.
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Death row inmates get pre-execution photo shoots for loved ones in Singapore
Despite growing international pressure on the issue, Singapore insists that the death penalty is an effective deterrent against drug trafficking.
The wealthy financial centre has some of the world’s toughest anti-drug laws – trafficking more than 500gm of cannabis or over 15gm of heroin can result in the death penalty.
