Singapore Jails 31‑Year‑Old in Death Sentence for Heroin Haul
In a scene straight out of a crime drama, 31‑year‑old Shen Hanjie was sentenced to die on Thursday for the trafficking of more than 2.65 kg of a substance that tested as 34.94 g of pure heroin. The law kicks in the death penalty when heroin exceeds 15 g, and Shen’s stash more than doubled that threshold.
The “Cannabis Slip” Defense
Shen’s original claim? He was simply “storing” the goods for a one‑time acquaintance named Alan. He insisted he never opened the packets or even peeked at what was inside, insisting he had no idea whether it was marijuana or something more lethal.
But when the courtroom drama unfolded in 2021, Shen changed his tune. He now said he did look in the containers and asked Alan what they were. Alan replied, “They’re ganja,” the slang for cannabis.
Justice Dedar Singh Gill was unimpressed. He called the claim a “shift in evidence,” noted the lack of a solid explanation for the change, and declared it unbelievable. He also nixed the safekeeping defense, claiming it was inherently implausible.
Beyond a “Joyride” with Alan
The judge highlighted that Alan had contacted Shen six months later—after their first and only meeting—to ask if he could keep his drugs. Even after learning Alan was sending illicit substances for storage, Shen continued to “help” a stranger without protest or payment. That’s regardless of its financial strain on him.
At the time of arrest, Shen was jobless, chewing on cold ice (meth in the region), and gambling his way through life. He had even stopped working at his father’s coffee shop two years ago and relied on his parents’ allowances, to the point of pawning personal and inherited items.
Two notebooks discovered in his BEDROOM (a more dramatic term than “room”) listed 18 people he’d passed drugs to. The prosecution’s case was clear-cut, proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Shen took the drugs in a trafficking mindset.
Life Imprisonment? Not for Shen.
Though death is on the table, Shen did not qualify for life imprisonment, a lesser sentence reserved for drug couriers who meet very specific criteria. She wasn’t an ordinary courier; the court found him not involved in intelligence gathering against the Central Narcotics Bureau, and no mental or intellectual disorders that might explain his actions. Thus, the death penalty was the final call.
For those curious about Singapore’s stance on the death penalty and how foreign opposition compares with domestic support, Check out the related report—but that’s for another time.
This article was first published in the The Straits Times. Reproduction requires permission.
