{
  "id": 630119,
  "title": "Doctor, acquaintance who took drugs in Sentosa hotel get a year’s jail each",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/doctor-acquaintance-who-took-drugs-in-sentosa-hotel-get-a-years-jail",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-12T04:06:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Straits Times",
    "slug": "straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/doctor-acquaintance-who-took-drugs-in-sentosa-hotel-get-a-years-jail-each"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On August 12, a doctor and his acquaintance were each sentenced to a year in prison for consuming MDMA, or Ecstasy, at a party held at a villa in the Sofitel Singapore Sentosa hotel. Rayson Lee Rui Sheng, 36, and Tan Li Ming, 29, were among 49 men arrested during a police raid on August 9, 2023. Lee had attended the birthday party of another acquaintance, mingling with friends before heading to a club in Clarke Quay, where he was introduced to Tan. In the early hours of August 10, the pair separated and entered the villa separately.\n\nPolice, acting on information, conducted checks at the hotel shortly after 5:30am and discovered substances believed to be controlled drugs. Substances like Ecstasy and ketamine, along with drug paraphernalia, were found during the operation. The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) identified traces of MDMA in both men's urine samples, and their hair samples indicated consumption of both Ecstasy and ketamine.\n\nDespite presenting their hair and urine samples, Lee and Tan claimed their drinks were spiked. They also argued that the police had failed to seize potential plastic cups containing drug residue. However, the Deputy Public Prosecutors (DPPs) stated there was no credible evidence to support their claims, adding that the pair presented \"hypothetical scenarios and unexplored possibilities\" during their trial, including allegations that unidentified foreign nationals mixed their drinks. The DPPs described these claims as distractions.\n\nDuring their trial, District Judge A. Sangeetha found the accounts given by Lee and Tan during the proceedings to be unconvincing, noting that their hair samples revealed prior drug use. The judge concluded that neither man was unfamiliar with drug use. On August 12, it was announced that Lee and Tan would appeal their convictions.",
  "summary": "A doctor and an acquaintance were each sentenced to a year in jail on Aug 12 for consuming MDMA at a party held at a villa at the Sofitel Singapore Sentosa hotel on Aug 9, 2023. The two men, Rayson Lee Rui Sheng, 36, and Tan Li Ming, 29, were among 49 men arrested in a police raid during the party. During the trial, both men claimed their drinks were spiked and argued that police had failed to seize plastic cups that might have contained drug residue. However, Deputy Public Prosecutors Jocelyn Teo and Dhiraj G. Chainani argued that there was no credible evidence to support these claims. District Judge A. Sangeetha found the men's accounts during the trial were not credible, adding that their hair samples had shown prior drug use. The pair have since indicated they will appeal against their convictions.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}