Jailed tertiary student took drugs in Amsterdam

A tertiary student was jailed for six months on Tuesday for taking drugs in Amsterdam and for possessing cannabis at his home.

Trevor Soh Li Wen, 24, who faced four charges, admitted taking a cannabinol derivative in Amsterdam, Holland, on or before May 26 this year, and having a container with at least 4.22g of vegetable matter containing cannabis at his home in Woodlands on May 29.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sarah Chua said that Central Narcotics Bureau officers, acting on a tip-off, searched the Woodlands flat on May 29 and found an improvised smoking apparatus and other items in his bedroom.

Investigations showed that he started smoking weed - a street name for cannabis - when he was first introduced to it during his junior college days.

He stopped during his army days but resumed smoking it again a few months before his arrest.

He would get his supply through a friend at about $500 a brick.

He would break the brick into smaller pieces and use a grinder to turn it to powder. He would then place the powder on top of his improvised smoking apparatus, light it and smoke it like a pipe.

His urine samples were found to contain drugs.

Investigations showed that he had last smoked weed in Amsterdam on May 26 while on holiday there. He admitted smoking it every day for four days there.

He returned to Singapore on May 27 and was arrested two days later.

DPP Chua said as a Singapore citizen, he is not authorised to take drugs both outside and within Singapore.

Soh's lawyer Justin Yu Jun Wen said in mitigation that his client, who recently commenced his tertiary studies, was a water-polo captain in junior college.

Diagnosed with depression, Soh used cannabis to self-medicate to cope with his depression, he said.

Mr Yu also said his client had rough patches throughout his life and was remorseful.

Soh could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined up to $20,000 on each charge.

elena@sph.com.sg

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