Justice Nazlan Ghazali, delivering the unanimous decision of a three-member bench, said the court had given careful consideration to the men’s appeals but found them to be without merit.

“The High Court and the Court of Appeal did not commit any appealable error. We affirm the conviction as it is safe,” he said.

Chief Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh chaired the bench, which also comprised Justice Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh.

However, the court allowed the whipping sentence imposed on Lo Wei Ryh, 34, Mak Kwong Ming, 49, Yap Fook Chen, 32, Joon Zheng Han, 29, Lim Zhen Qiang and Yen Tai Xiang, both 24, to be reduced from 15 strokes to 12.

Their lawyers argued that the trial judge wrongly invoked the presumption of trafficking based on the evidence presented.

They contended that, at most, their clients should have been charged with a lesser offence involving the substance.

Lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, appearing for Joon, submitted that the trial judge only stated in her written grounds that the presumption of trafficking had not been rebutted, but did not do so at the close of the trial before convicting them.

According to the facts of the case, the drugs were strapped to the appellants’ thighs and concealed in the soles of their shoes when auxiliary police arrested them at KLIA2 during a security screening.

In their defence, they claimed they accepted part-time job offers from a man known only as “The Company” to deliver packages to South Korea, and were told the items were gym supplements or clenbuterol, not dangerous drugs.

Lawyer Goh Cia Yee represented Lo and Mak; Kitson Foong and Chew Jee San acted for Lim; Izwan Ishak represented Yap; and Chong Joo Tian acted for Yen.

Deputy public prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz appeared for the prosecution.