Pakistani tried for possessing heroin

JAKARTA (JP): A prosecutor asked Central Jakarta District Court yesterday to sentence a Pakistani man to 18 months in jail and order him to pay Rp 1.5 million (US$157) for possessing 450 grams of heroin.

Prosecutor Djoko Isworo said the defendant, Muhammad Rafiq Choudry, 36, had violated Article 23 (3) of Law No. 9/1976 on narcotics. The law carries a maximum term of 10 years imprisonment and Rp 15 million fine.

"The defendant has destroyed the country's efforts to ease drug trafficking. He had also made complicated statements during the trial."

Djoko said police arrested Rafiq and his brother Muhammad Syafiq Choudry, 39 -- who owned the heroin -- on June 17 in Wisma Bintang hotel in Tanah Tinggi, Central Jakarta.

The men were involved in a drug deal with a buyer, Jefri, who had agreed to pay Rp 40 million for the heroin, he said. Jefri managed to escape.

He said Syafiq had been told by his Pakistani friend Ali Liquat, 35, that Jefri wanted to buy the heroin, which Syafiq had bought from a fellow compatriot, Tahir.

Rafiq earlier denied that he and his brother purchased the heroin, saying the drugs belonged to Tahir.

"Tahir told me to look after a plastic bag," he said. "We had asked Tahir to process our passports."

The defendant claimed he only learned there was heroin in the bag when he was questioned at Jakarta Police Headquarters.

Syafiq was sentenced to three and a half years in jail for trafficking and Ali to eight and a half months for not reporting the deal.

Presiding judge Pieter Purba adjourned the trial until Tuesday to hear the defendant's plea. (jun)