[News Hawk]

Police detained three Africans and a Saudi Arabian in central Malaysia for possession of marijuana, all of whom could face the death penalty if they are found guilty of trafficking, a news report said Wednesday.

The four students -- two Kenyan women, an Eritrean man and the Saudi national -- were detained at their rented apartment in Cyberjaya town Saturday, the New Straits Times reported.

All four were students at a nearby college and are aged from 18 to 22. Their identities were not disclosed.

The students face death by hanging under Malaysia's harsh anti-drug laws if found guilty.

District Police Chief Zahedi Ayob was quoted as saying that raiding officers found four slabs of marijuana and various small plastic packets with the drug in powdered form, a total of about four kilograms (9 pounds) estimated to have a street value of about 7,200 ringgit (US,982; euro1,547).

The students tested positive for drugs and have been remanded for a week to aid investigators trying to determine whether more people were involved. The four were suspected to have been supplying drugs to other students in their college, the report added.

A police spokesman declined to comment. Zahedi was not immediately available for further details as he was in a meeting Wednesday morning, his office said.

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Source: Manila Bulletin
Pubdate: 22 November 2006
Copyright: 2006 Manila Bulletin
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