Why did Singaporean man decide to plant ‘death penalty’ weed in wife’s car

Tan Xianglong, a 37-year-old Singaporean man, was sentenced to nearly four years in jail for attempting to frame his estranged wife by placing cannabis in her car, knowing she could face the death penalty.
The couple were separated for less than two years after seeking a divorce but failing to obtain one due to the short duration of their marriage, according to court documents.Tan was angry at his wife for not contributing enough financially to their marriage.
Xianglong belived that divorced could be granted if one of the parties had a criminal record after consulting with lawyers.
“From his research online, he knew that the involved party (his wife) would face the death penalty if convicted of trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis. He nonetheless decided to proceed with his plan as he was very angry with the involved party,” the court document stated.
Initially, he hired a private investigator to gather evidence of his wife’s infidelity, but no proof was found which led Tan him to frame his estranged wife by planting weed in her car, which he described as a “perfect plan” to his girlfriend .
Tan purchased the drugs on the black market and weighed them at home, finding that they amounted to 510 grams, which is more than the 500-gram threshold that warrants the death penalty in Singapore. However, a laboratory analysis of the drugs revealed that they only contained 216.17 grams of pure cannabis.
Tan’s wife was arrested after police found the drugs in her car, but no other incriminating evidence was discovered against her. The investigation then shifted to Tan, who was subsequently arrested.
The United Nations and rights groups argue that capital punishment has no proven deterrent effect and have called for its abolition. However, Singaporean officials maintain that it has contributed to making the country one of the safest in Asia.