Volleyball coach jailed for drug offences after deliveryman sent meth to wrong flat

SINGAPORE: A volleyball coach who was nabbed for drug offences after a deliveryman mistakenly delivered a packet of methamphetamine to the wrong flat was sentenced to two years' jail on Thursday (Oct 21).

Marvin Chew Xuan Han, 37, pleaded guilty to two charges of drug consumption and one count of possessing meth, with another two charges taken into consideration.

According to a June 2021 National Registry of Coaches notice by Sport Singapore, Chew was suspended from Aug 17, 2020, pending investigations.

The court heard that Chew was acquainted with a man he knew as "Josh". Josh had arranged for a deliveryman to pick up a packet of meth from Chew and deliver it to Josh at his flat.

On May 4, 2020, Chew handed over a paper bag containing the packet of meth to a deliveryman, who was to deliver the bag to Josh for S$12.

Later that day, Josh received a notification from the courier company that the delivery had been completed, but he had not received the package. He called the deliveryman, who told him that he had delivered the item.

However, he added that he might have made a mistake and delivered the item to the flat on the sixth floor instead of the fifth floor.

Josh went up to his neighbour's flat and asked for the package back, but his neighbour refused. Instead, she called the police saying she had received a package containing a suspicious item.

Police officers seized the paper bag and arrested Chew. He gave two urine samples, which were analysed and found to contain meth.

Chew admitted consuming meth a few days before his arrest, saying he had obtained it from an unknown man he met online.

RELEASED ON BAIL, BUT NABBED AGAIN

Chew was released on court bail but was nabbed again on Oct 11, 2020. He gave another two urine samples that were again found to contain meth. He admitted to consuming the drug by jabbing himself.

The prosecutor sought 26 months' jail, saying Chew was knowingly involved in assisting the movement of drugs, albeit unsuccessfully. 

The offence was discovered in an "entirely fortuitous" manner, and would have carried on undetected had it not been for the mistake by the deliveryman, she said.

Chew was granted a deferment of his jail term to November.

CNA has contacted Sport Singapore for more information.