A 47-year-old unemployed Singaporean man appeared in Johor Sessions Court on May 6, 2025, charged with drug trafficking and possession offenses.
Tan Ban Choon faces five drug-related charges following his arrest during a raid at a Danga Bay apartment in Johor Bahru. The main charge involves trafficking over 10kg of powdered MDMA (ecstasy).
Malaysian law stipulates this offense carries a potential death sentence by hanging or life imprisonment with at least 15 strokes of the cane upon conviction, under Section 39B(1)(A) and Section 39B(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
Tan also faces four separate possession charges for 9g of heroin, 44g of cannabis, 6g of powdered MDMA, and 31.3g of ketamine. All substances were found during a raid at approximately 10pm on April 23, 2025.
Judge Mohammad Khalid Ab Karim presided over the proceedings. Tan acknowledged the charges after they were read in Mandarin, but no plea was recorded as the case falls under High Court jurisdiction.
The arrest was part of coordinated raids across several Johor districts including Johor Bahru, Batu Pahat, Kota Tinggi, and Kluang. Authorities arrested five individuals during these operations.
Joint investigations with Singapore authorities showed Tan had previous criminal records. Officers also found falsified identification documents in his possession.
For the possession charges, Tan could receive fines up to RM100,000 (S$30,690) or up to five years in prison, or both. The cannabis possession charge specifically may result in two to five years in jail with three to nine strokes of the cane upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Siti Fatimah Mamu represented the prosecution. Tan appeared without legal representation, and the court did not grant bail.
The case will return to court on July 29, 2025, pending chemical analysis reports of the seized substances.
