A 60-year-old man was sentenced to jail on Thursday (Oct 27) for trying to pass magazines with 32 needles hidden in them to his brother in prison.
According to Channel News Asia, Abdul Khaliq Mohammed Shan was given five months’ jail and an additional enhanced sentence of 88 days’ jail, as he committed the offence while on remission for past offences. He pleaded guilty to one charge under the Prisons Act of attempting to introduce unauthorised articles into prison.
WHAT HAPPENED
The court was informed that on January 19 of this year, Abdul Khaliq visited the Changi Prison Link Centre and handed the service counter three magazines: Augustman, Her World, and Female Magazine.
The magazines were meant for his brother, a prisoner in Changi Prison Complex’s Cluster B. A visit officer examined the three magazines later that day.
She was deployed at the centre to censor reading materials from visitors before handing them to inmates, and was required to scan such materials with a handheld metal detector to check for contraband items, CNA reported.
32 NEEDLES
“While scanning the magazines with her metal detector, she found a total of 32 sewing needles hidden in the spines of the magazines” CNA added.
The needles were between 3.5cm and 4.5cm long. A prisons officer lodged a police report that same day.
Abdul Khaliq stated during the course of the investigation that an unidentified guy visited his home a few days prior to his planned visit to the prison and begged for help in passing the magazines to Abdul Khaliq’s brother.
Abdul Khaliq claimed that he did not know this man’s identity, had never met him, and lacked his contact information. Before attempting to bring the magazines into prison, Abdul Khaliq failed to use reasonable care by failing to verify the identity of the unidentified guy or the information contained in them, the court heard.
At the Drug Rehabilitation Center, Abdul Khaliq is presently receiving rehabilitation. He was there since April of this year and is scheduled to be released in 2025.
The prosecutor requested a sentence of four to five months in prison with an additional 89 days. Unauthorized sewing needles should not be brought into a guarded jail setting because they are sharp devices that could be readily hidden and misused in the wrong hands, he said.
About halfway through his period of remission for earlier offences, Abdul Khaliq also committed the offence.
For attempting to introduce unauthorised articles into prison, he could have been jailed up to 12 months, fined up to S$3,000, or both.
Images for illustration purpose only
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