Singapore has executed a man for conspiring to traffic cannabis despite pleas for clemency from his family, activists and the United Nations. Tangaraju Suppiah, who is 46 years old, was hanged at dawn over a plot to smuggle 1kg of cannabis. Some activists insist he had been convicted on a weak evidence and had received limited legal access during his prosecution. However, Singapore authorities said he had been given a fair trial and criticised those who questioned the courts. Singapore has some of the world’s toughest anti-drug laws. It argues these are a necessary deterrent to drug crime which is a major issue elsewhere across South-East Asia.