Singapore has attracted attention once again for its strict anti-drug laws and the recent executions that have taken place in the country. Mohamed Shalleh Adul Latiff, a 39-year-old man, became the latest person to be executed for drug trafficking, making it the fifth hanging this year and the third within just over a week.

Latiff was sentenced to death in 2019 for possessing approximately 55 grams of heroin with the intent to traffick. He had claimed during his trial that he believed he was transporting contraband cigarettes to repay a debt to a friend.

However, his defense was not accepted, and he became the 16th person to be executed since Singapore resumed executions in March 2022 after a two-year pause due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The execution of Latiff followed the highly controversial case of Saridewi Binte Djamani, a 45-year-old Singaporean woman who was executed for trafficking around 30 grams of heroin, marking the first time a woman had been executed in Singapore in nearly 20 years.

Just two days before Saridewi's execution, Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, a 57-year-old man, was hanged for trafficking about 50 grams of heroin. These series of executions have drawn condemnation from international rights groups, with the United Nations calling for a moratorium on the death penalty in Singapore.

However, the country remains firm in its stance, asserting that the death penalty serves as a strong deterrent against drug trafficking. Singapore continues to have some of the world's toughest anti-drug laws, where trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis or over 15 grams of heroin can result in the death penalty.

These recent executions in Singapore have rekindled the global debate surrounding the death penalty and its effectiveness as a deterrent to crime. As international pressure mounts, all eyes will be on Singapore and its approach to capital punishment in the future.