Assisting another to retain benefits of drug dealing
50.—(1) Subject to subsection (3), a person who enters into, or is otherwise concerned in an arrangement, knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that by the arrangement —
(a)
the retention or control by or on behalf of another (called in this subsection that other person) of that other person’s benefits of drug dealing is facilitated (whether by concealment, removal from jurisdiction, transfer to nominees or otherwise); or
[Act 15 of 2023 wef 08/02/2024]
(b)
that other person’s benefits of drug dealing —
(i)
are used to secure funds that are placed at that other person’s disposal, directly or indirectly; or
(ii)
are used for that other person’s benefit to acquire property by way of investment or otherwise,
and knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that that other person is a person who carries on or has carried on drug dealing or has benefited from drug dealing, shall be guilty of an offence.
[21/2014]
(1A) Subject to subsection (3), a person (A) —
(a)
who enters into, or is otherwise concerned in, an arrangement under which —
(i)
the retention or control by or on behalf of another person (B) of B’s, or any other person’s, benefits of drug dealing is facilitated (whether by concealment, removal from jurisdiction, transfer to nominees or otherwise);
(ii)
funds that are placed at another person’s (B) disposal are secured, directly or indirectly, by B’s, or any other person’s, benefits of drug dealing; or
(iii)
property is acquired for another person’s (B) benefit, by way of investment or otherwise, using B’s, or any other person’s, benefits of drug dealing; and
(b)
who —
(i)
does so rashly in respect of the circumstance that the arrangement relates to benefits of drug dealing; or
(ii)
does so negligently,
shall be guilty of an offence.
[Act 15 of 2023 wef 08/02/2024]
(2) In this section, references to any person’s benefits of drug dealing include a reference to any property which, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, represented in the person’s hands the person’s benefits of drug dealing.
[21/2014]
(3) Where a person discloses to an authorised officer a suspicion or belief that any property, funds or investments are derived from or used in connection with drug dealing or any matter on which such a suspicion or belief is based —
(a)
if the person does any act in contravention of subsection (1) or (1A) and the disclosure relates to the arrangement concerned, the person shall not be guilty of an offence under this section if the disclosure is made in accordance with this paragraph, that is —
(i)
it is made before the person does the act concerned, being an act done with the consent of the authorised officer; or
(ii)
it is made after the person does the act, but is made on the person’s initiative and as soon as it is reasonable for the person to make it;
[Act 15 of 2023 wef 08/02/2024]
(b)
the disclosure is not to be treated as a breach of any restriction upon the disclosure of information imposed by law, contract or rules of professional conduct; and
(c)
the person shall not be liable in damages for any loss arising out of —
(i)
the disclosure; or
(ii)
any act done or omitted to be done in relation to the property, funds or investments in consequence of the disclosure.
[21/2014]
(4) In any proceedings against a person for an offence under this section, it is a defence to prove —
(a)
that the person did not know and had no reasonable ground to believe that the arrangement related to any person’s proceeds of drug dealing;
(b)
that the person did not know and had no reasonable ground to believe that, by the arrangement, the retention or control by or on behalf of the relevant person of any property was facilitated or (as the case may be) that, by the arrangement, any property was used as mentioned in subsection (1) or (1A), as the case may be;
[Act 15 of 2023 wef 08/02/2024]
(c)
that —
(i)
the person intended to disclose to an authorised officer such suspicion, belief or matter as is mentioned in subsection (3) in relation to the arrangement; and
(ii)
there is reasonable excuse for the person’s failure to make disclosure in accordance with subsection (3)(a); or
(d)
that, in the case of a person who was in employment at the time in question and the person enters or is otherwise concerned in the arrangement in the course of his or her employment, the person disclosed the suspicion, belief or matter as is mentioned in subsection (3) to the appropriate person in accordance with the procedure established by his or her employer for the making of such disclosures.
[21/2014]
(5) Any individual who commits an offence under subsection (1) shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $500,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or to both.
[Act 15 of 2023 wef 08/02/2024]
(6) Any individual who commits an offence under subsection (1A) shall be liable on conviction —
(a)
in a case mentioned in subsection (1A)(b)(i), to a fine not exceeding $250,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to both; or
(b)
in a case mentioned in subsection (1A)(b)(ii), to a fine not exceeding $150,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both.
[Act 15 of 2023 wef 08/02/2024]
(7) Any person who is not an individual who commits an offence under subsection (1) or (1A) shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1 million or twice the value of the benefits of drug dealing in respect of which the offence was committed, whichever is higher.