The 45-year-old former taxi driver admitted to two charges of trafficking in a packet of Ice and Ecstasy at Fu Lu Shou Complex at Rochor Road on Sept 25 last year. He also pleaded to three drug possession charges the same day.

Assistant Public Prosecutor Sam Ong said that before his arrest that day, he had sold drugs totalling $730 to an undercover officer.

The accused led narcotics officers to his taxi at Queen Street where two packets of loose crystalline substance were recovered from the driver's seat floor board.

More drugs were seized from his home in Pasir Ris.

Further investigation showed that he had bought drugs illegally from a Malaysian at New Cathay Hotel in Geylang earlier that day.

Defence lawyer Chia Boon Teck said his client, a salesman, was exposed to the HIV virus following an act of indiscretion in 2004.

Despite being tested positive for HIV, he did not seek treatment and lived in a state of denial.

Mr Chia said the accused was eventually forced to seek treatment in December 2006 when he became seriously ill with full-blown Aids.

He said his client bought the drugs for his own use. An undercover Central Narcotics Bureau officer befriended him and started pestering him for drugs.

The accused declined the officer's requests several times before he finally gave in to his persistence.

District Judge Jill Tan told the accused that she had to impose caning which was mandatory but would forward the medical reports to the prison authorities.

The case will be mentioned in a month's time for the prison authorities to confirm if he is fit to be caned.

The accused can be jailed for up to 20 years and caned 15 times for each trafficking charge. For possession, the maximum penalty is 10 years or $20,000 or both on each charge.