Man tried for smuggling pistol

TANGERANG (JP): A former waiter was indicted at the Tangerang District Court yesterday for attempting to smuggle a pistol into the country from the United States.

Prosecutor Syamsudin said Nuri Samsudin, 30, of Taman Bunga housing complex in Cibubur, East Jakarta, was arrested on Nov. 26.

Syamsudin said the former waiter at a restaurant in Florida was arrested when he arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

"Customs officers found the 9-mm caliber Smith & Wesson pistol in a bag belonging to the defendant after the bag went through an X-ray detector," the prosecutor said.

He said that a police crime laboratory examination verified the pistol was in good condition.

He charged the defendant under Article 1 (1) of the Emergency Law No. 12/1951, which carries the death penalty.

The court also heard testimony from customs officers and police officers.

Presiding judge M.T. Hasby adjourned the trial until next week to hear the rest of the prosecution's case. (41/jun)