NTU student with weed on campus planned to distribute drug; receives six years' jail, caning

Source: The Straits Times
Author: Samuel Devaraj

SINGAPORE - A student from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has been sentenced to six years' jail and five strokes of the cane after he was found with over 100g of cannabis on campus grounds, which he had planned to distribute.

Muhammad Izzat Mazlan was arrested in 2022 at a carpark at the institution. Officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) found the drug in his motorcycle parked nearby.

The 25-year-old, who pleaded guilty to three drug-related charges, received the mandatory minimum sentence for trafficking a controlled drug on May 8.

He was also sentenced to one year's jail for smoking cannabis, and imprisonment of two years and six months for possession of cannabis, which was found in his home.

The court ordered the sentence for possession to run concurrently with the other two.

Five other charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act were taken into consideration during his sentencing.

Izzat was arrested at the carpark of the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering on Oct 20, 2022 at about 6.45pm, Deputy Public Prosecutor Ryan Lim told the court.

CNB officers searched his motorcycle and found four blocks of vegetable matter wrapped in clear plastic. They then escorted Izzat to his home later that day and recovered five blocks of vegetable matter, also wrapped in clear plastic.

Analysis by the Health Sciences Authority found that the substance in his motorcycle contained not less than 101.59g of cannabis.

DPP Lim said Izzat had collected the drug from a supplier and was intending to pass it to at least one other person.

The substance found in his home was found to contain not less than 132.19g of cannabis, and at least a part of this was for Izzat's personal consumption, the prosecutor added.

Izzat admitted that he had been smoking cannabis about four times a week since early 2021.

"He claims to have obtained his recent supply from an individual in Singapore whom he got to know through mutual friends," said DPP Lim.

In sentencing Izzat, District Judge Crystal Tan noted his clean record and relatively young age.

The Straits Times has reached out to NTU for comment.