Links and News CommentaryThursday, 24 November 2005 11:36 pm
Turns out YC knows him. It’s a very small world indeed.
Part of me is really upset to know that someone I actually know, is to be hung. Part of me is feeling really angry for his stupidity. How could he traffick drugs to all places but Singapore? It is a confirmed death penalty. Singaporeans will not let you off hook. Hang on, rephrase. How could he traffick drugs in the first place?
4 Responses to “Nguyen Tuong Van footnote”
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After researching various sources, I’ve found that one gram of heroin accounts for 14.13 doses (”hits”). This implies that 396.2 grams would deliver 5598 hits, or 4.6 times less than the 26,000 hits estimated by the Singapore government in the Van Tuong Nguyen trial.
Also, equating one hit with one ruined life is a gross exaggeration. My analysis shows that 5598 hits would supply heroin to approximately 15 addicts, or 67 average users, for one year.
I have attached the results of my findings; I encourage you to perform your own independent research.
Would someone please tell me how adversely affecting the lives of up to 67 people justifies a death sentence?
Sincerely,
Dave Jarvis
Estimated Number of Hits per Gram of Heroin
———————————————————————
21.43 hits/gram = 300000 hits / 14000 grams
5.26 hits/gram = 2000000 hits / 380000 grams
10.00 hits/gram = 10000 hits / 1000 grams
20.07 hits/gram = 111 hits / 5.53 grams
6.25 hits/gram = 5000 hits / 800 grams
25.51 hits/gram = 2500 hits / 98 grams
5.00 hits/gram = 5000 hits / 1000 grams
19.08 hits/gram = 5 hits / 0.262 grams
16.06 hits/gram = 4000 hits / 249 grams
12.62 hits/gram = 10000 hits / 396.2 grams
———————————————————————
Average: 14.13 hits/gram
———————————————————————
Estimated usage for 396.2 grams: 14.13 * 396.2 = 5598 hits
———————————————————————
Singapore’s estimated usage for 396.2 grams: 26000 hits
65.26 hits/gram = 26000 hits / 396.2 grams
Singapore’s ruling over-estimates the number of hits by 4.6 times.
———————————————————————
Usage: 2.8 hits / day
Regular Habit: 2.5 usages / month = 30 usages / year
Total: 30 * 2.8 = 84 hits / year
Result: 5598 hits supplies 67 average users for one year
———————————————————————
Usage: 2.8 hits / day
Addict Habit: 2.5 usages / week = 130 usages / year
Total: 130 * 2.8 = 364 hits / year
Result: 5598 hits supplies 15 addicts for one year
dave: the laws differ and the death penalty applies throughout SE Asia. The question now is not whether he should be hanged but why did he traffick the drugs in the first place, knowing the risks?
Hmm… Different countries, different laws, death penalty do applies throughout SEA, like Mooi had stated.
2 quotes:
“…laws could not be changed to “accommodate the wishes of those who wish to give Nguyen a lighter sentence…”
“…the issue here was the right of a sovereign state to apply its own laws to persons who had committed crimes within its jurisdiction”
I’m actually sorry it had to happen to him, for the reasons he stated. “Unnatural” death by any form, might seem cruel. Unfortunately, he took the risk and came to the wrong place. When you’re committing a crime in/within SG, you just can’t run and hide.
Tu pun, bapak aku yang ajar.
The case of Nguyen Tuong Van illustrates just how risky it is to smuggle drugs into Singapore. But, I wonder how many people realize just how risky it is to travel to Singapore period. Many drug smugglers do not want to risk actually getting caught with drugs, so they bribe airline baggage officials in various countries to allow them to stash drugs in some passenger’s baggage. Then, someone else waits in the destination country to “collect” the drugs from the host passenger once he/she arrives and clears customs. But, sometimes the passenger does not clear customs. In that case, since the Singaporean judicial system places the burden of proving innocence on the defendent, the defendedent is often not able to offer an adequate proof of innocence.