KNOWING that the drugs he was buying were smuggled in does not mean that the addict had conspired to import the drugs, the High Court declared on Friday.

In what lawyers said was probably the first such case to be heard here, Justice Tay Yong Kwang quashed the conviction of odd-job worker Sandra Segran Muruthamuthu, 54, for abetting Thangam Nadason to bring in cannabis from Johor.

His five-year jail term was set aside and the case sent back to the district court for Sandra Segran to be charged with possession instead.

In October 2007, Thangam, a Malaysian odd-jod worker, offered to sell the cannabis he brought over from Johor to Sandra Segran.

The price: $150 for 25g of cannabis.

On March 6, both were arrested and the cannabis was found on Sandra Segran, also an odd-job worker.

Thangam confessed to police that he would call and ask Sandra Segran if he wanted cannabis before he came over.

After a six-day trial, District Judge Hamidah Ibrahim found that when Sandra confirmed his order with Thangam prior to March 6, he knew 'full well that Thangam would have to import the cannabis into Singapore,' and 'had therefore abetted Thangam in committing the offence of importation.'

Sandra Segran was jailed for five years last August on this charge.

He was jailed another two years after he pleaded guilty to possessing metamphines and consumption of metamphines and cannabis.

At his appeal hearing on Friday morning, his lawyers S.K. Kumar and Paul convinced the High Court that the relationship between the two accomplices was strictly that of a buyer and seller.

Sandra Segran had not asked Thangam to import the cannabis and neither did he help Thangam to do so, they said.