Pakistani tried for possessing heroin

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)