A Malaysian High Court acquitted Singaporean businessman Aniell Sebhnani, 63, and his sons Nethan, 38, and Sedhant, 35, of cannabis trafficking and cultivation charges on 3 July 2026.[1][2] Justice Aslam Zainuddin ruled the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case, so the three did not have to enter their defence.[1] They had been held on remand since their arrest on 25 March 2021, more than five years.[1][2]
Police had raided a rented house in Semenyih, Selangor, finding 25 glass bottles of cannabis, eight cannabis plants and growing equipment such as temperature controls and fans; the charges covered 315.3 g of cannabis and eight plants.[1] The trafficking charge under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 carried the death penalty or life imprisonment with at least 12 strokes of the cane, and the cultivation charge life imprisonment with at least six strokes.[1]
The defence disputed the link to the house, saying the listed tenant “Sean Pete” was never shown to be one of the accused and pointing to signs someone else had entered the house after the raid.[1] Immigration authorities detained the three immediately after the acquittal while the prosecution weighed an appeal, blocking their return to Singapore.[1][2]