SANDAKAN, Sept. 12 -- Two local men charged with drug trafficking three years ago were freed without having to enter their defence at the High Court here on Friday.

Judge Saiful Azian Mokhtar delivered the ruling after the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case.

The accused, Ho Chee Wai, 49, and Roslan Charni, 40, were arrested on January 18, 2022, at a petrol station in Mile 9 here and accused of trafficking 700.4 grammes of methamphetamine.

They had faced charges under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the mandatory death penalty or life imprisonment with at least 15 strokes of the cane if convicted.

Ho was represented by lawyer Datuk Nelson Wences Angang, while Roslan was represented by Da...