A Singaporean man has been sentenced to nearly four years behind bars after attempting to frame his estranged wife by planting cannabis in her car, knowing she could get the death penalty.
Tan Xianglong, 37, hid what he thought was over half a kilo of marijuana in the back seat of his wife's vehicle, thinking that amount would be sufficient to trigger Singapore's death penalty for drug trafficking.
Singapore, by the way, has some of the strictest drug laws in the world and carries out the death penalty by hanging. The latest, which took place in April 2023, was the 11th person in two years to be hanged for allegedly smuggling two pounds of cannabis into the country.
Ripped Off In A Telegram Chat
However, in this case, less than half of the substance that Tan planted in his wife's car turned out to be actual cannabis; the rest was filler material, reported VNExpress.
Tan admitted he bought the weed from a Telegram chat group whose founder Pavel Durov was recently released on $5.6 million bail from French custody where he could face up to 12 serious charges, including drug offenses.
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The Pot Plot Unravels
Tan had apparently failed to consider that his wife's car was equipped with a camera system that sent her a phone notification alerting her to a “parking impact.” This prompted the woman to review live footage, which showed Tan lingering around the car. She quickly notified the police, accusing him of harassment. During the investigation, however, the cops discovered the weed and arrested her. When no evidence was found against her, the focus shifted to Tan, leading to his arrest.
Tan's defense attorney argued that he was suffering from depression at the time he plotted to send this wife to the gallows.
Court documents revealed that Tan’s intention was to frighten his wife and entangle her in legal trouble. His plan hinged on getting her arrested and charged with a severe crime, potentially making it easier for him to get a divorce. Under Singaporean law, couples need to be married for at least three years before filing for divorce. Tan and his wife had been separated for less than two years.
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Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas via Wikimedia Commons
