Mumbai, August 30: A 37-year-old, Tan Xianglong, was sentenced to three years and ten months of jail term for planting cannabis in his wife's car in an attempt to frame her for drug trafficking. Tan, knowing Singapore's strict anti-drug laws, planted around 500 grams of cannabis, hoping it was enough to invite a death penalty for his wife.

The Singaporean police caught Tan on August 29 after the camera installed in his wife's car recorded him placing the cannabis inside it. Tan was unaware of the camera's presence in the vehicle. Singapore prohibits the use of cannabis even for recreational use, and individuals caught with it or trafficking it can face up to 10 years in prison or even a death sentence, depending on the amount of cannabis seized. Singapore: Four-Year-Old Dies of Airway Obstruction After Father Forces Chilli Into His Mouth to Disciple Him, Sentenced to Eight Months in Jail.

As reported by BBC, Tan married in 2021 but the marriage started falling out early. Tan sought a quick road to a divorce from his wife. The couple had separated but was unable to get a divorce since Singapore's law does not permit divorce to couples who have not been married for at least three years. Tan devised this plan to frame his wife as a criminal in hopes that it would help him bypass the law.

However, in a telegram chat with his girlfriend in 2023, Tan revealed to the latter his "perfect plan" to frame his wife and seek an early divorce. He had informed his girlfriend about this plan one day before placing the cannabis in his wife's car. Chinese Hacker Group Exploits Bug To Breach Indian, US Internet Firms via Startup, Says Report.

The police had initially arrested Tan's wife for possession of cannabis, but finding no evidence against her, they shifted their focus on Tan. Later, when Tan's wife checked the car's camera footage, she was shocked to find out the truth and reported it to the police. It was then the police arrested Tan for orchestrating the entire crime.

In Tan's trial, his lawyer defended him by saying Tan suffered from clinical depression. However, the court rejected this since no doctors could verify the claim. After this, Tan cooperated and pleaded guilty to his trial, due to which the court granted him a reduced sentence of three years ten months instead of the earlier five years.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 30, 2024 07:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).