Drug trafficker gets 15-year jail term

Drug trafficker gets 15-year jail term

JAKARTA (JP): The South Jakarta District Court sentenced on
Tuesday a 25-year-old man to 15 years in jail for possessing and
trafficking 160 kilogram of marijuana.

Presiding Judge Muchtar Ritonga's sentence was two-years
lighter than the 17-year term sought by prosecutor Normalina
Sihotang.

The court also ordered the prosecutor to destroy the 160
kilogram marijuana which had been seized.

Ritonga said that defendant Marzuki Yakub al Ricky had
violated Articles 78 and 82 of Law No. 22/1997 on psychotropic
drugs.

"His actions can ruin the mentality and morality of the
nation's young generation, but he did not show any remorse during
the trial," Ritonga said.

Defendant Marzuki, who was not accompanied by a lawyer during
the trial said that he accepted the verdict and calmly signed the
ruling.

Prosecutor Normalina said the panel of judges had properly
sentenced the defendant.

"The verdict is adequate," she said while suggesting the
defendant not appeal the verdict.

According to the prosecutor, the defendant was arrested by two
police officers on Oct. 18 last year in Lenteng Agung
subdistrict, South Jakarta.

After receiving information that the defendant was trafficking
large amounts of marijuana, two officers went undercover,
pretending to buy 20 kilograms of marijuana from the defendant at
a price of Rp 24 million.

After Marzuki was apprehended during the sale, a subsequent
search of his house revealed another 140 kilograms of marijuana
had been hidden away.(01)