On the evening of 21 May 2022, police raided a house compound in Janda Baik, Pahang, and found up to 100 plants believed to be ganja growing around the property.[1] The 78-year-old former diplomat living there, Datuk Zainal Abidin Alias, was detained in the raid, and his 53-year-old son Mohamed Rizal was detained in Shah Alam two days later.[1][2] The head of the federal narcotics crime department confirmed both arrests and said officers had seized the plants and other items.[1]
Police later put the count at 102 cannabis plants worth about RM61,200, plus 1.02 kg of dried cannabis leaves and a bottle of cannabis extract.[3] One of the men admitted learning to grow the plants from a YouTube video and said the seeds came from Kuala Lumpur.[3] Police called it the largest cannabis-plant seizure so far, since past cases had involved plants grown in pots.[3] The father was released from remand on May 28 while his son stayed in custody, and on June 2 their lawyer wrote to the attorney-general asking him not to press charges against the father.[3]
On June 3 the pair were charged in the Bentong Magistrate’s Court with trafficking ganja and possessing cannabis oil, and the son faces a third charge of misusing tetrahydrocannabinol.[2] Five days later both pleaded not guilty in the Raub Sessions Court to planting the 102 trees, a charge carrying life imprisonment and at least six strokes of the cane.[2] The prosecution offered no bail, and the judge fixed July 22 for mention of the case.[2]