Singapore executes woman convicted of drug trafficking, first time in two decades

Singapore has some of the world's toughest anti-drug laws, slapping the death penalty on anyone who is caught trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis or 15 grams of heroin. Singaporean national Saridewi Djamani, 45, who was found guilty of trafficking 30 grams of heroin in 2018, was executed on Friday.

Singapore: For the first time in about 20 years, the Singapore government on Friday executed a woman convict who was found guilty of trafficking 30 grams of heroin in 2018. Singaporean national Saridewi Djamani, 45 years of age, is the second drug convict to be executed this week, after fellow Singaporean Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, and the 15th since March 2022, reports the BBC.

Under Singapore's stringent anti-drug laws, which are some of the world's toughest, the death penalty is being imposed on anyone who is caught trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis or 15 grams of heroin. In a statement, Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said that Saridewi, who was sentenced to death on July 6, 2018, was accorded "full due process" under the law.

The city's highest court had dismissed the appeal against her conviction on October 6 last year. A petition for presidential pardon was also unsuccessful, according to the authorities presiding over the matter. Her execution came just two days after another convict Aziz was hanged on Wednesday, following his conviction of trafficking 50 grams of heroin in 2017.

According to Amnesty International, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Singapore are the only four countries to have recently carried out drug-related executions. (IANS)