George town: Five friends were charged in the Magistrate's Court here today with drug possession and trafficking two weeks ago.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, three of the accused-Muhammad Khalis Abdul Kudus, 39, Amirul Din Abd Aziz, 44, and Mohd Firdaus Mohd Fodzi, 40-were charged with jointly trafficking 29,902 grammes of cannabis in a parking area in front of a house on Persiaran Sungai Gelugor 2, at 11.50 pm on August 15. The charge, under Section 39B (1) (a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, carries the death penalty or life imprisonment and a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane if convicted.

Muhammad Khalis, who is unemployed, and Amirul Din, a fisherman, are also jointly charged under the same law with trafficking 16,179 grammes of cannabis at a house on Persiaran Sungai Gelugor 2, here, at 12.50 am on August 16. All accused nodded in acknowledgment after the charges were read before Magistrate Siti Nurul Suhaila Baharin, but no plea was recorded as the cases fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court.

In the same court, Muhammad Khalis pleaded not guilty to possessing 43.91 grammes of cannabis at a house on Persiaran Sungai Gelugor 2 at 11.30 pm on August 15. He was jointly charged with Mohd Ekmal Kamarudin, 47, a bank employee, and Azhar Omar, 57, a fisherman, both of whom pleaded guilty. The charge, framed under Section 6 of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, read with Section 34 of the Penal Code and is punishable under Section 39A (1) of the law, provides a prison sentence of up to five years and whipping of up to nine strokes, upon conviction.

Meanwhile, Amirul Din and Mohd Firdaus, also a fisherman, were jointly charged with possessing 2.96 grammes of cannabis at the same location on August 15, to which they both pleaded not guilty. They face a maximum fine of RM20,000 or imprisonment of up to five years or both, upon conviction.

All of the accused were granted bail of RM3,000 with one surety each. The court has adjourned all the cases to November 12. Deputy public prosecutor Lau Shavin represented the prosecution in all the cases.