The 30-year-old was sentenced to 22 years in jail and 15 strokes of the cane.

If the prosecution had not amended the charge, he would be hanged if convicted as anyone found trafficking in more than 15g of heroin would get the death sentence.

Prosecutors had reduced the amount of heroin in the charge purely on compassionate grounds, his lawyer Christopher Bridges said.

Mr Bridges, who was assigned by the High Court as it was initially a capital offence trial, said: 'He was merely acting as a peon. He simply followed his elder brother's instructions to collect the drugs.'

His brother Sng Chun Heng, 36, and a third accomplice, Chan Heng Kong, 48, are facing capital charges.

Officers found another 71g of heroin and 40g of methamphetamines in Chan's car while a search of Chun Heng's flat revealed another 12g of heroin. Chun Heng had also consumed heroin.

Sng is likely to be called as a prosecution witness against his brother and Chan when they are brought to trial.

The High Court heard that on Jan 23 last year, Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers stopped a taxi with three men at a car park at Chai Chee Avenue at about 2pm.

On the floorboard of the rear passenger seat were six packets of Mamee Monster noodles, in which were hidden 30 smaller packets of powdery substance.

Analysis by the Health Sciences Authority indicated that the powder contained 17.7g of heroin.

Investigations revealed that Chun Heng had asked Choong Peng that morning to collect 'peh hoon', which is the Hokkien term for white powder or heroin.

Chun Heng handed his brother a cellphone to liaise with the drug smuggler and $5,500 to pay for the drugs.

A while later, Chan called Choong Heng to collect the drug heroin at a car park in Kampong Arang Road off Mountbatten Road at 2pm.

Before the meeting, Chan drove through the Woodlands Checkpoint from Johor Baru to Block 14 Kampong Arang Road.

There, he placed a red plastic bag next to a dustbin at the covered walkway.

He then parked some distance away and waited in the car.

Choong Pemg paid him before collecting the drugs and joining his brother and a friend at a nearby block. The three men then boarded a taxi for Chai Chee Avenue

The whole transaction was witnessed by Central Narcotics Bureau officers who moved in and arrested Chan.

Justice Kan Ting Chiu noted that Choong Peng's role was an 'one-off involvement and there was no mention that he was an owner or part owner of the drugs'.

Mr Bridges told The Straits Times that Choong Heng was grateful to the prosecution for reducing the charge and sparing his life.