SINGAPORE, June 11 -- A 58-year-old man has been sentenced to 31 years' jail for drug trafficking and money laundering in Singapore, narrowly escaping the gallows by a fraction of a gram.

The Straits Times reported today that Mesnawi Dahri was arrested in Ang Mo Kio on January 27, 2023, after Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers found him in possession of 713g of heroin and four Ecstasy tablets.

Further analysis confirmed that the amount of pure heroin - or diamorphine - he had for trafficking was 14.99g, just below the 15g threshold that would have mandated the death penalty.

The original charge against Mesnawi stated he was trafficking "not less than 15g" of diamorphine.

However, it was later reclassified after verification of th...