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Execution of Angel Mou Pui Peng

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Killarnee (talk | contribs) at 00:55, 9 April 2023 (copyedit). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

{{AFC comment|1= thank you – robertsky for taking the time to reply to me and explaining your reasons ... i was wondering, if i created a new page such as "Drug Trafficking in Singapore" and had the contents of this article (and a few others regarding drug mules) as a section of it, would that be acceptable or would that page also be deemed Not Notable ?

  • Comment: @WorldTravleerAndPhotoTaker: I cannot say much about Duncan McKenzie (murderer) without doing a WP:BEFORE. Every article is evaluated on its own merit, see WP:OTHERSTUFFEXISTS. Also, notability standards may have differ back in 2007 when that article created, and such articles are typically grandfathered, left unchallenged, till someone thinks that these articles should not be on Wikipedia. Back to this article specifically, as noted, there is nothing significantly different from the other typical foreign drug mules getting arrested in Singapore. – robertsky (talk) 13:59, 24 January 2023 (UTC)
  • Comment: hi – robertsky, i created this article and others of a similar style to provided info on foreign drug mules who were caught moving drugs via Singapore's changi airport, info is almost impossible to find online so i had to dig into archived newspapers (i have provided links throughout) but this case did infact have a good few articles giving background info from the other person involved in the case (her sister). i wanted to record the circumstances of their arrest and their attempts to present legal arguments to get off the charge, which always failed ... if others think its not Notable there isnt much i can say in reply as that is their opinion, howevere i will point out there are countless other articles that could be considered not notable, such as Duncan McKenzie (murderer), that have been on wikipedia for many years without any issues at all — Preceding unsigned comment added by WorldTravleerAndPhotoTaker (talk • contribs) 08:35, 24 January 2023 (UTC)
  • Comment: WP:NOTNEWS I don't see any significance in this having a standalone article. This is a routine coverage of Singapore's typical anti-drug enforcement. Nothing out of the norm: foriegners getting caught for carrying drugs and getting executed. There's no other challenges, i.e. stay of execution, etc. – robertsky (talk) 05:57, 23 January 2023 (UTC)


  • Comment: I respectfully ask that this article be re-evalued, as I have added coverage of the international diplomatic outrage her death caused (which makes this case unique and notable), with major political figures in Portugal (President of Portugal, Mario Soares and the Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs José Manuel Barroso), Macau (The governor of Macau Vasco Rocha Vieira) and Hong Kong (the Governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten) all going on public record to first plead for mercy and then condemning the execution in the strongest terms. The fact the Singapore authorities postponed her execution so she her family could spend time with her over Christmas is another unique and notable feature of Angels case, which I am sure was the result of all the diplomatic pressure that other drug offenders did not receive. Her case also garnered wide coverage by the Portuguese media, with frequent daily updates on both television and radio in the lead up to her execution (links in ref tags to archived videos of TV news coverage), which makes it much more notable than other similar drug courier cases. Arguably her case is second to only that of Johannes van Damme for media coverage in Europe for a condemned drug trafficker, and her case most definitely made the most media impact in Asia too.
    Another unique and notable aspect of this case is that the mastermind, who the sisters knew as 'Ah Hung', pled guilty in the Supreme Court of Hong Kong to a charge of assisting people in Hong Kong to commit an offence outside the territory, the first conviction of its kind for that offence in Hong Kong legal history, and Angel's sister (who was on the same drug run) testified in his trail as the star witness for the prosecution. Please, at least publish the article and allow it to be marked for consideration for deletion, and then consensus from a few wiki editors after a debate on its merit can decide if it is ultimately suitable for publication. Thank you in advance WorldTravleerAndPhotoTaker (talk) 14:20, 8 March 2023 (UTC)



Angel Mou Pui Peng
Born(1970-01-01)1 January 1970
Macau
Died6 January 1995(1995-01-06) (aged 25)
Changi Prison, Singapore
NationalityMacau Portuguese
Occupation(s)Cashier, Sales clerk
Criminal statusExecuted
Conviction(s)Drug trafficking
Criminal penaltyDeath

Angel Mou Pui Peng (毛佩萍[1] or 莫佩萍[2]) was a 25-year-old female Macau national executed in Singapore for drug trafficking in 1995.

Biography

Born in Macau in 1970, Angel Mou Pui Peng was a resident of Hong Kong at the time of her arrest.[3][4]

Background

In the summer of 1991, Angel Mou asked her younger sister Mei Mei if she would be willing to carry "something" from Thailand to Taiwan, hidden inside a pair of platform shoes. After she agreed, on 24 July 1991 they went to the Garden Restaurant in Sham Shui Po where they met two men, 'Ah Hung' and 'Peter', and they received $10,000 each in advance of their $50,000 fee for the trip.[5]

Arriving in Bangkok on 24 August 1991, they met Ah Hung, who after a few days told them there was a change of plan: instead of high-heeled shoes they would be given bags to carry, and that instead of Taiwan they would be going to Singapore and then to Europe to deliver the goods. Mei Mei later said she thought they would be carrying contraband Rolex wristwatches to Amsterdam. That night, the sisters were split up and moved into different hotels, and the next day Mou was sent on a flight to Singapore.[6] After learning of Mou's arrest, Ah Hung re-routed Mei Mei's flight to Zurich via Seoul (without informing her of what happened to Angel). Mei Mei only learned of her sister's fate when she arrived back in Hong Kong from Holland and was met at Kai Tak airport by narcotics bureau detectives from the Royal Hong Kong Police.[7]

Arrest at Changi Airport

Angel Mou arrived at Changi Airport on 29 August 1991, where her behavior caught the attention of a customs officer. At baggage conveyor belt number 17 on the West wing of Terminal 1, she picked up her bag but then hesitated and dropped it, allowing the bag to go around another time before picking it up. After Mou put the bag on her trolley and started wheeling it towards the exit of the Arrivals hall, she was stopped by customs officers and asked to open her bag. Her nervous demeanor raised the suspicion of the officials,[8] who escorted her to the Customs Duty office, where a more through search could be conducted. The bag was emptied of its contents and then placed on a weighing scale, which showed a weight of 7 kilograms. Cutting through the bag's false bottom, the officers discovered 20 blocks of heroin, weighing a total of 4 kilograms (with an estimated street value of $3 million).[9] On 30 August 1991, Mou was charged with the importation of the heroin discovered in her bag.[10]


Trial

In the opening statements of Mou's trial at the High Court of Singapore on 2 March 1993, customs officer Rosli Brahim testified how Mou was one of the last passengers to retrieve her bag from the carousel, and appeared nervous by frequently looking at her surroundings, at the immigration officers, and at the customs officers. She was then stopped by customs officer Suriati Mohamed, who asked for her passport and then told her to open her bag. Suspecting the bag had a false bottom, they escorted her to the Customs Duty office and subsequently discovered the hidden drugs after cutting open the bag. [11]

Mou testified in her defence that she was a part time prostitute sent by her pimp to Singapore to service a client. The pimp then packed her bag without her knowledge while she was taking a bath in a Bangkok hotel, and he also carried the bag and checked it in for her at the airport. Mou claimed to have had no knowledge of the drugs in her bag before she set off for Singapore.[9]

Verdict

On 11 March 1993, Mou was found guilty as charged and sentenced to death for importing 4 kilograms of heroin into Singapore, contrary to Section 7 of the Misuse of Drugs Act. Judicial Commissioner Amarjeet Singh rejected her defence as "not credible".[12] Mou's family were present to hear the verdict, and they were reportedly distraught at the pronouncement of the death penalty in court, in contrast to Mou, who remained expressionless during sentencing.[13]

Appeals

On 11 July 1994, Mou's appeal against her death sentence was rejected by Singapore’s Court of Criminal Appeal.[14][15]

Conviction of Ah Hung in Hong Kong

On 29 November 1993, 'Ah Hung' pled guilty in the Supreme Court of Hong Kong to a charge of assisting people in Hong Kong to commit an offence outside the territory, the first conviction of its kind for that offence in Hong Kong legal history.[16] Ah Hung was later sentenced to 4 and a half years in prison.[17] At the time of his arrest, Ah Hung was carrying a Malaysian passport bearing the name of one Sia Khim Meng. In fact, the passport itself was reported missing to the Thai authorities months before the case. Ah Hung, whose real name was never confirmed, was subsequently identified as a Chinese citizen.[18]

Mei Mei testified as the principal witness against Ah Hung during his trial,[19] identifying him as the syndicate member who packed the sisters' bags with heroin.[20] Despite this, Mei Mei had written a letter to him pleading he inform Singapore authorities that Mou was unaware of what was hidden by him in her bag (he never replied to her).[21] Ah Hung was released from prison on 10 October 1994 and then deported to China.[22]

Execution

After exhausting her appeals, a death warrant was finalized and sent to Angel Mou's family. They were notified that the execution would take place a week later on 22 December 1994. Later, Mou's lawyers filed an application for a stay of execution so her family could visit her in prison and celebrate Christmas with Mou one final time before she could be put to death. The request was granted by President of Singapore Ong Teng Cheong, who rejected Mou's plea for clemency two weeks prior to the original date of her execution.[23][24][25]

On the morning of 6 January 1995, after a two-week stay of execution and rescheduling of her death sentence, 25-year-old Angel Mou Pui Peng was hanged at Changi Prison.[26][27][28][29]

International Reaction

Mou's case was given wide coverage by the Portuguese media, with frequent daily updates[30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] on both television and radio in the lead up to her execution.[38][39] Many appeals were previously made by politicians world wide for the commutation of Mou's death sentence, including a landmark intervention by the President of Portugal Mario Soares,[40][41][42][43][44][45][46] along with similar diplomatic efforts from the Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs José Manuel Barroso [47] and the Governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten. The governor of Macau, Vasco Rocha Vieira, condemned Mou's execution as "incomprehensible and even revolting" while also expressing "deep sorrow" at Mou's death and feelings of "solidarity" with her family, while Chris Patten was quoted as saying he "deeply regrets the death penalty anywhere" and that he wished to express "deep sympathy and condolences" to Mou's family in Hong Kong.[48][49][50]

See also

References

  1. ^ "总统开恩 度过最后的圣诞节 澳门女毒贩 今早正法". Shin Min Daily (in Chinese). 6 January 1995.
  2. ^ "《东方快讯》：澳门女毒贩在新加坡正法案 一男子安排运毒在港落网花巨款聘律师辩护只判轻刑". Lianhe Zaobao (in Chinese). 8 January 1995.
  3. ^ "mother hanged as drug-runner". The Independent. 7 January 1995.
  4. ^ "Singapore hangs HK drug trafficker". UPI. 5 January 1995.
  5. ^ "为了9千元 走上不归路". Shin Min Daily (in Chinese). 7 January 1995.
  6. ^ "吊死女毒贩 是应召女郎". Shin Min Daily (in Chinese). 7 January 1995.
  7. ^ "ROPED ON DEATH ROW". South China Morning Post. 13 March 1994.
  8. ^ "Macau woman arrested in $5m heroin bust at airport". Straits Times (Overseas edition). 1 September 1991.
  9. ^ a b "Courier on the road to death". The Straits Times. 7 January 1995.
  10. ^ "Macau woman on drug charge". The Straits Times. 31 August 1991.
  11. ^ "Woman hid drug in false bottom bag, court is told". The Straits Times. 3 March 1993.
  12. ^ "IN THE COURTS". The Straits Times. 12 March 1993.
  13. ^ "行李藏海洛英机场被捕澳门女出纳员被判死刑". Lianhe Zaobao (in Chinese). 12 March 1993.
  14. ^ "HK woman convicted on drug charge loses appeal". The Straits Times. 12 July 1994.
  15. ^ "UA 309/94 - Singapore: death penalty: Angel Mou Puipeng". Amnesty International.
  16. ^ "Malaysian convicted of abetting crime abroad". South China Morning Post. 30 November 1993.
  17. ^ "Man who recruited drug courier 'paid his lawyers $283,000'h". The Straits Times. 10 January 1995.
  18. ^ "《东方快讯》：澳门女毒贩在新加坡正法案 一男子安排运毒在港落网花巨款聘律师辩护只判轻刑". Lianhe Zaobao (in Chinese). 8 January 1995.
  19. ^ "Singapore: death penalty: Angel Mou Puipeng". Amnesty International. 22 August 1994.
  20. ^ "Angel's last prayer". South China Morning Post. 11 September 1994.
  21. ^ "Mother pleads for trafficker Angel's life". South China Morning Post. 15 December 1994.
  22. ^ "《东方快讯》：澳门女毒贩在新加坡正法案 一男子安排运毒在港落网花巨款聘律师辩护只判轻刑". Lianhe Zaobao (in Chinese). 8 January 1995.
  23. ^ "Condemned drug trafficker gets Xmas reprieve". UPI.
  24. ^ "Angel Mou Pui Peng". www.capitalpunishmentuk.org.
  25. ^ "走私毒品判死刑 原定今早正法 澳门女毒贩 暂缓刑度圣诞". Shin Min Daily (in Chinese). 23 December 1994.
  26. ^ "Hongkong woman hanged for drug trafficking". The Straits Times. 7 January 1995.
  27. ^ "mother hanged as drug-runner". The Independent. 7 January 1995.
  28. ^ "Execução de Angel Pui Peng". RTP. 6 January 1995.
  29. ^ "澳门女毒贩今晨正法". Lianhe Wanbao (in Chinese). 6 January 1995.
  30. ^ "Condenação de Angel Pui Peng". RTP. 12 November 1994.
  31. ^ "Clemência para Angel Pui Peng". RTP. 19 November 1994.
  32. ^ "Adeus de Angel Pui Peng". RTP. 21 December 1994.
  33. ^ "Últimas horas de Angel Pui Peng". RTP. 22 December 1994.
  34. ^ "Adiamento da execução de Angel Pui Peng". RTP. 23 December 1994.
  35. ^ "Marcada execução de Angel Pui Peng". RTP. 30 December 1994.
  36. ^ "Sentença de Angel Pui Peng". RTP. 1 January 1995.
  37. ^ "Condenação de Angel Pui Peng". RTP. 5 January 1995.
  38. ^ "Appeal by family gives death row woman more time". The Straits Times. 24 December 1994.
  39. ^ "Angel Pui Peng: uma morte anunciada". CNN Portugal. 22 December 1994.
  40. ^ "葡萄牙国会吁请我国别处决贩毒澳门女郎". Lianhe Zaobao (in Chinese). 5 November 1994.
  41. ^ "Lisbon clemency bid for trafficker". UPI. 7 August 1994.
  42. ^ "Plea for Angel". South China Morning Post. 21 December 1994.
  43. ^ "mother hanged as drug-runner". The Independent. 7 January 1995.
  44. ^ "Singapore hangs HK drug trafficker". UPI. 5 January 1995.
  45. ^ "Angel's last prayer". South China Morning Post. 11 September 1994.
  46. ^ "Hong Kong woman to hang in Singapore". UPI. 12 December 1994.
  47. ^ "Execução de Angel Pui Peng". RTP. 6 January 1995.
  48. ^ "Angel's hanging condemned as 'revolting' act". South China Morning Post. 7 January 1995.
  49. ^ "Cingapura enforca portuguesa por tráfico". Folha De S Paulo. 7 January 1995.
  50. ^ "运海洛英入我国 澳门女毒贩正法". Lianhe Zaobao (in Chinese). 7 January 1995.
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