Two foreigners face death over heroin<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Prosecutors requested separate courts on Monday to hand down
\ndeath sentences for Senegalese and Sierra Leone suspects charged
\nwith heroin trafficking.<\/p>\n
Seck Osmane, a 30-year old Senegalese national, was found in
\npossession of 25 packages of heroin weighing 2.4 kilograms at his
\nhouse in South Jakarta, prosecutor Suntoro was quoted by Antara
\nas saying.<\/p>\n
He said police officers confiscated the heroin as evidence in
\nan Oct. 20, 2003, raid at the house on Jl. Lebak Bulus II,
\nCilandak.<\/p>\n
Suntoro told the South Jakarta District Court that Osmane sold
\nthe illegal drug in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"He came to Indonesia and acted in a manner that would destroy
\nthe future of the nation, by smuggling a large quantity of heroin
\nfor sale ... and should be sentenced to death,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The court adjourned the trial until next Monday to hear the
\ndefense's plea.<\/p>\n
Separately in Bali, prosecutor Nunung Sugiarto asked the
\nDenpasar District Court to sentence Emmanuel O. Lhejirika, 31, of
\nSierra Leone, to death for heroin trafficking.<\/p>\n
The defendant was guilty of smuggling 461.7 grams of heroin
\ninside his stomach, she said as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
Lhejirika was caught upon his arrival on Jan. 14 at Ngurah Rai
\nInternational Airport via Pakistan, Hong Kong and Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Accompanied by his lawyer Dodik Firdaus, the defendant cried
\nas the prosecutor read out the charges against him.<\/p>\n
Presiding judge I Nyoman Karmam adjourned the trial until June
\n29 to hear the defense's plea.<\/p>\n
A total of 30 people, most of them foreigners, are on death
\nrow in Indonesia for drug trafficking. None have been executed
\npending lengthy appellate processes.<\/p>\n
National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said on Sunday the
\npolice had firing squads on standby for when prosecutors issued
\nan order to carry out the sentence.<\/p>\n
National Narcotics Coordinating Agency head Togar Sianipar
\nsaid at least four of the convicted drug offenders might be
\nexecuted if their requests for a presidential pardon were denied.<\/p>\n
In the last 10 years, only one drug offender sentenced to
\ndeath has been executed: Malaysian Chan Ting Tong, alias Steven
\nChong.<\/p>\n
Togar argued that the prolonged delay in carrying out the
\ndeath sentence had contributed to an increase in drugs cases over
\nthe last three years.<\/p>\n
The agency office and the University of Indonesia found in a
\nstudy that about 4 percent of the population -- or nine million
\npeople -- used drugs in 2003, an increase of almost 400 percent
\ncompared to the 2002 figure.<\/p>\n
\"One addict uses Rp 5 million per month on drugs, so nine
\nmillion addicts means Rp 45 trillion per month on drugs alone,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/two-foreigners-face-death-over-heroin-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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