British man on cocaine charge to post bail in Singapore

A British man charged with possessing a small packet of cocaine will post bail today after spending nine days in a Singapore jail, his lawyer said.

Singapore authorities last week arrested Jason Taylor, 33, together with a dozen other foreigners suspected of involvement in a drug ring.

Taylor could be imprisoned for up to 10 years if convicted.

Taylor, a construction supervisor, was arrested on December 6 while travelling in a taxi along the city-state’s main shopping belt.

He spent over a week in jail as he raised the bail of 20,000 Singapore dollars (€10,000), said his lawyer Darshan Purain.

Another British man, Lionel Rudolf Zupancich, 45, a management consultant who was arrested in the sting operation, faces up to 20 years in jail and 15 strokes of the cane if found guilty of trafficking in about seven grammes of cocaine.

Seven Thais, a Malaysian, a Japanese, and a Singaporean were also arrested in the anti-drug operation.

Singapore has some of the world’s toughest drug laws, including a mandatory death penalty for anyone caught with more than a half an ounce of heroin or more than 17.6 ounces of marijuana.