6 years sought for Taiwanese defendant

JAKARTA (JP): Prosecutors asked the Tangerang District Court on Monday to sentence Taiwanese passport-holder Cheng Ching Lung, 30, to six years in prison and fine him Rp 10 million (US$1,149) for attempting to smuggle over 4,000 ecstasy pills out of the country in July.

"The defendant violated Article 61, Paragraph 1 of the 1997 law on psychotropic substances," prosecutor Mursidi said during the hearing, presided over by judge Achmad Zaini.

The article carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a Rp 300 million.

Mursidi said that before the defendant boarded a flight on July 22 in Taiwan bound for Jakarta, an acquaintance, identified as Afong, told Cheng a woman would meet him at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport here.

"This woman, Afong told the defendant, would hand over the tablets to him, which he was to bring back to Taiwan," Mursidi said.

The prosecutor said that upon Cheng's arrival at Soekarno- Hatta airport, a woman meet Cheng and gave him the drugs.

Mursidi said that on July 24, Cheng, with the pills wrapped in plastic and strapped to his legs, attempted to board a flight for Taiwan.

"When the defendant reached Soekarno-Hatta airport on July 24 to board his flight back to Taiwan, he went through a metal detector. The alarm rang, the drugs were found," Mursidi said.

The defendant's lawyer, John Kalangit, is scheduled to give a rebuttal on Nov. 6. (41/ylt)