Latest: Singapore single mother awaits death row in Malaysia for drug trafficking. On the pretext of a business trip to China, Iqah was handed a suitcase containing heroin arranged by her Nigerian boyfriend and was arrested by Malaysian Immigration. A campaign is underway to raise funds for the appeal. To find out more, read

We have also heard that since Vui Kong's appeal started, there has been an unofficial stay of execution for all prisoners on death row in Changi Prison, pending the decision of the court on Yong's case. As the case has been dismissed by the Court of Appeal, we anticipate a Changi gallows bloodbath in a scale not seen since the Pulau Senang uprising in 1965 when 18 men were convicted of murder and hanged in a single Friday morning.

Singapore, which routinely persecute dissenters and critics, continue to hang young drug runners while at the same time work closely with Burmese military generals, and has invested billions in business ties with Burma, one of the biggest heroin manufacturing countries the world.

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If you know someone who's charged in a capital case, received the death sentence, or is on death row in Singapore and if you have have your side of the story to tell, contact us at sgdeathpenalty [at] gmail.com


Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Iqah’s story - The single mum who became an unwitting drug mule


Singapore Anti-Death Penalty Campaign (SADPC) – Last Thursday, we visited the family and close friends of Noor Atiqah M. Lasim, a 27 year old Singaporean who was recently sentenced to death by Shah Alam’s High Court on 18 March 2011.

This is the story of Noor Atiqah, otherwise known affectionately as Iqah to her family and friends.

The beginning of the end

It was at a club in Clarke Quay around June 2008 that Iqah had her first contact with Valentine, the Nigerian who eventually led her to the state she is in today. The two started seeing each other in August the same year.

Shortly after, Valentine suggested setting up a fashion business together and they planned to embark on sourcing trips to China. It certainly sounded like a good idea to Iqah, as she was hoping that the business will help to bring about a better life for her family.

Iqah, a single mum with with her daughter

A vacation gone wrong

In December 2008, Iqah traveled to Kuala Lumpur by bus with a long time friend, with the intention to celebrate New Year’s Day. During her stay there, she received a call from Frank, who she had met in Shenzhen. Frank informed her that samples were ready and made a request for her to collect them.

Iqah refused, as she could not afford to fly to Shenzhen on such a short notice. However Frank was insistent. He promised her USD$500 upon reaching Shenzhen as well as USD$200 for her expenses in Malaysia. Eventually Iqah agreed and Frank arranged for her to meet up with Emeka, a Ghanaian, at McDonalds in Petaling Street.

When they met on 3 Jan 2009, Emeka passed Iqah a blue luggage along with a budget flight ticket to Shenzhen. Puzzled, Iqah inquired the purpose of the luggage. Emeka then informed her that the luggage was for her to store the samples.

On 5 Jan 2009, while going through the immigrations at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal in Kuala Lumpur, she was requested to have her luggage through the scanner twice. She then cooperated when asked to open her luggage for inspection, and the rest was history.

342.1 grammes of heroin and 30.3 grammes of monoacethyl were found in a brown enveloped, cleverly concealed in the luggage given to her by Emeka.

“We believe that Iqah is innocent.”

Iqah had spent time in prison since then and hence separated from her daughter. More than 2 years have passed since mother and daughter have met.

Before the final hearing on 18 March this year, her siblings were hopeful that she will be acquitted because they believe that she is innocent.

However, they were met with a shock when Judge Noor Azian Shaari delivered her sentence at Shah Alam High Court.

Among themselves, they have started a campaign for Iqah. The campaign aims to raise funds for a second legal opinion as well as to spread the word about the case. Please visit the blog to find out more about how you can help.


sgdeathpenalty

49 comments:

  1. The irony of this blog is that it tries to promote free speech and criticizes the government for restricting speech - yet it censors its comments and refuses to publish things it does not agree with. Bravo.

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  2. Oops. The above comment was meant for another blog. Sorry!

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  3. why cannot use lie detector as evidence to present to the court? if if does shown she does not lie i mean can they review the case again instead of kill and kill....

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    Replies
    1. Because a lie detector is not proven 100% reliable.

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  4. drug trafficking is a strict liability offence. in crime there are 2 elements. in plain english. the actual action that commits the offence, as well as the intention. for the prosecution to win the case he must prove both elements beyond reasonable doubt. In drug trafficking over a certain amount, its a strict liability offence which means that it does not require the the intention element, it does not matter whether the accused has intentionally, or unintentionally trafficked the drugs, so long she has actually done it, then she is liable for such an offence. in Singapore, drug trafficking over a certain amount leads to the MDP or Mandatory Death Penalty, which is what happened in this case i think.

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  5. Has all the evidence been laid down? , has all the details up to the tiniest been reveal ?? I wonder .. I really wonder. if she's truly innocent , my prayers tat let the truth reveal itself real soon.

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  6. Remind me to never travel through Singapore. Someone could switch tags on my check-on luggage

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  7. it says she travel thru MSIA not SG. duh..

    i pity the child.. she is separated from her mum. Guilty or not, the mother is too naive.

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  8. Death sentence is only appropriate if the person killed another person,for all other offences it's just not right!
    What a terrible shame that that lovely girl will never be able to hug her mummy.Shame on Singapore!

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  9. i think ur wrong its not singapore she is a singaporean that is now in death row in MALAYSIA...

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  10. Singapore and Malaysia shares the same set of law for drug traffickers and murderers etc.

    Atiqah is no doubt NAIVE so as to believe, trust and be friend with someone of African origin eventhough warnings and warnings has been put up to be careful of those people from Africa.

    They are cheaters and drugs carriers but yet someone as Atiqah are so gullible to fall for their tricks.

    Whatever it is, both Singapore and Malaysia government must put in more effort to combat and arrest those behind the offences and not to punish those that are being make use of.

    To Atiqah family, other than getting a lawyer to fight for her, you can seek help from PM Lee and PM Najib. On top of that, do a lot of prayers so that Atiqah will be proven innocent and be released.

    Khalidalwaleed

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  11. Don't trust Nigerians.

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    Replies
    1. Totally agree! Had very bad experience with one of them Joe Okoye Obote...way back in 1984. Way before it was known that Nigerians were bad news,

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  12. How could a not so well off single mother have travelled to Shenzhen where she met Frank first time? All drug trafickersseems to be innocent and easily duped. Meanwhile I am waiting for Santa nclaus to visit me in person for Christmas.

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  13. All drug trafickers have been duped but they travel the world on holidays and expect to be believed when caught?
    Emeka handed her an empty suitcase. She reacted and asked why.
    This is the preplaned story to say if caught.
    Why no more talk about Frank and Emeka? Did they exist only in her fantasy?

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  14. Don't we all do stupid and naive things in our lives? Is it not that we are always wiser looking back? What is naive when we look back was maybe not fully understood at the moment it mattered. I truly feel for Iqah, her daughter and family. What a shame! The state killing someone!
    Even if she purposely did it (which I don't believe) she does certainly not deserve to die. Certainly not! What a inhuman, bitter and negative solution to execute someone for drug related crimes. That's what I believe in. Peace to all of you

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  15. I do feel sorry for her daughter for her mothers stupidity. I dont buy her story and she is not as innocent as she claims.
    As a test I had a friend ask my daughter if she could fly to Singapore for him to deliver a bag. She is 17 and never travelled alone before.
    She said sure but she wanted to pack the goods herself in a bag she bought herself......
    A street smart single mother who meets crooks in China got duped by Nigerians?

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  16. This ought to be a lesson to girls desperately in need of a boyfriend. without checking his background. Inspite of numerous articles about girls esp Malay girls lured by Africans our girls never learned their lessons.They all know the consequences of carrying drugs. One should open bags given before accepting.I never accept bag given by others esp strangers!.There will be many more Malay girls in Singapore and Malaysia will get caught. They are so naive and trusting.To those men , these girls are nice and easy target.

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  17. I feel so sorry for iqah, i am in tears, i am so short of words.

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  18. Reasons why iqah should be helped,any1 heard of the story of 2 Iranians caught with about 54kg of shabu? it doesn't end there they were freed,they spent abt 7months for trials,which took iqah and alot of other people 3-6yrs before final judgement is announced,I heard from a very good source that those iranians settled the court house about 6million riggets,it is so unfortunate that some1 like iqah doesnt have money to pay.I STAND TO BE CORRECTED ABOUT WHAT I WROTE ABOUT THE IRANIANS.

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  19. Anonymous,ordinarily i don't join issues with people who seems to overtly flaunt their ignorance without due regards, people who utter unguided literal or innuendos over a collective race, people or creed. you clearly in your submission over IQAH'S sentence exposed your inert ignorance and prejudice, this is tantamount to xenophobia. i am a proud original descend of NIGERIA, and you are not more Singaporean than me either. the crime here involves passion, stupidity, and greed and has nothing to do with countries of origins of the protagonists. we should be more civil and diplomatic when making statements.

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  20. i do feel naturally sad for Iqah's predicament, and blaming her now wont alleviate her pains and that of her loved ones, particular the victim , whom happens to be her enstranged daughter. from the cartels of Medellin, Colombia, barons of Sicily, Mexico,juarez, to the south east Asian connection, they have always conscripted, the very weak, vulnerable and poor to play their rounds, while they hang out in safe obscure places.i suggest that Singapore should inculcate into the school curricula a program that will prepare our young ones and help them from use and been used in this respect, a kind of an enlightenment campaign.

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  21. To those who thinks that she is innocent, u ppl betta think twice. To put it simply, drug traffickers are one of the worst kind of ppl. Whether she was aware or nt is nt the main concern. Drugs destroy lives and fatal to some. It is only fair that ppl who knowing or unknowingly indulge in drug related activities be severely punished coz these drugs kill and destroy millions of lives each year. And anyone who is stupid enough to get caught in such activities deserve death. Hope justice will be served soon.

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  22. Well drugs destroy lives possible but is it really the traffickers that force you to take drugs or get addicted. I don't belive so its your own decision whether you take drugs or not. I do not really understand why Singapore or Malysia doesn't matter which country try to protect his poeple in such a way as the habitants of those countries are not able to make their own decision. It's like all people living in this country haven't ever learnt to distinguish between right and wrong so you need to protect them in anyway. I'd think that an adult person should be able to know that taking drugs destroy lives etc. So why death penalty for drug traffickers.. it doesn't matter if the person in this story is innocent or not but death penalty for drugs is just way to strict. I mean I fully agree its an offence they should go to jail etc.. but death penalty serious? in other countries you even do not get this kinda punishment once you kill a person and don't tell me that Singapore are way better that some european countries... so why so strict? is this really needed are people in lets say SG or Malaysia really less able to know whats right or wrong than all those people living in Europe I don't think so.

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  23. I dfinetly agree wif wat had been saud as above..death penalty forsrug trafficking is too much n as said even d drug traffickers r selling any individual shld knw wether or nt to tke drugs..drug traffickers dun force anybody to consume drugs

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  24. its really sad that our young generation is very much addicted of drugs and drugs destroy lives possible but is it really the traffickers that force you to take drugs or get addicted. I don't belive so its your own decision whether you take drugs or not. I do not really understand why Singapore or Malysia doesn't matter which country try to protect his poeple in such a way as the habitants of those countries are not able to make their own decision.

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  25. Well, I felt pity for Iqah and her family but ultimately I strongly believed that Iqah is not innocent as she seems to be. If we studied Iqah's profile, she is a single mother and worked in a club where she then first met her Nigerian boyfriend. I am sure she is not naïve but its her greed to earn big fast money that has led and forced her to take this risk in the pretext of setting up a fashion business. We never know how many times she had travelled and succeeded in getting away with the authorities but its only just a matter of time she will get caught. And her story about not knowing the contents of the luggage was already being pre-planned if she will ever get caught. Everybody has a choice and their own mind to think what is right and wrong. But sad to say that Iqah had chosen the wrong option and therefore she had to face her own consequences.

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  26. As a kid, even from young,i i been told countless and countless of times ,never to hold/carry another person bag, could this grown up woman not know of such simple knowledge? as for whether drug trafficking deserve the death penalty.ask yourself this, without such a harsh law, would number of drug traffickers increase? my answer is yes. Do you know the impact drugs have on our society? drugs kills, tear apart families, leading to loanshark problems to satisfy ones need for drugs. All of this just because one person decides to smugger drugs in? Dont tell me,noone force them to buy the drugs. Because if no drugs was ever brought in, there will never even be such a problem in the face place.

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  36. So whats the update about her?

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  37. Very curious about her, I believe that shes free and with her family. Should encourage her to write a book about her story to inspire and "a learning lesson" for others..

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