15 years sought for Dutch woman

TANGERANG: A team of prosecutors asked the Tangerang District Court on Tuesday to sentence a Dutch woman to 15 years in prison for bringing 4,845 ecstasy pills into Indonesia from Malaysia in July last year.

The prosecutors also proposed a Rp 150 million (US$17,647) fine.

Prosecutor Hutagaol said they had a firm case against 21-year- old Sibel Yalvac, a resident of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, who was arrested at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, with the drugs.

The defendant arrived on Malaysia Airlines flight MH 771 on July 10, 2003.

Airport security officers found the drugs inside the defendant's bag.

A police laboratory test confirmed on July 22 that the pills contained amphetamine.

She was charged with violating Article 62 of Law No. 5/1997 on psychotropic substances that carries a maximum punishment of 15- years prison.

Presiding judge Ade Komarudin adjourned the trial until March 30 to hear the defense. -- JP