Nepalese gets life imprisonment

A former Nepalese police officer, Ramral Maharjan, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Tangerang court on Saturday for smuggling heroin into the country.

Judge Antonius Edwar Hartanto found the 38-year-old defendant guilty of illegally carrying 3.6 kilograms of heroin through Soekarno-Hatta airport last September.

Based on evidence presented at the trial, Ramral was instructed to visit Jakarta, from Thailand, by a man named Ciring. Before leaving Bangkok's Don Muang airport, Ramral was given a black bag by another person and told to take it to the Jayakarta Tower hotel upon his arrival here.

He was ordered to give the bag to a man at the hotel who would identify himself by revealing a Nigerian currency note.

However, the contents of his bag were detected by the customs x-ray machine at Soekarno-Hatta airport. The customs officials then detained Ramral.(mds)