'Putauw' dealer faces 12 years in jail

'Putauw' dealer faces 12 years in jail

JAKARTA (JP): A prosecutor asked Central Jakarta District
Court yesterday to sentence a 24-year-old man to 12 years in jail
for selling 48.5 grams of putauw (low-grade heroin).

Prosecutor Leonard E. Simanjuntak said the defendant, Fatoni
Padma, was arrested on Aug. 29 last year after allegedly trying
to sell the heroin to an undercover police officer on Jl. Kebon
Sirih Timur Dalam Raya.

Leonard said three officers -- Alfius Firdaus, M. Subali, and
Sunaryo -- of Menteng Police subprecinct had been assigned to
monitor the street, which is known as a popular location for drug
dealing.

Alfius waited in a Kijang minivan for a drug dealer to
approach, while his two partners watched from about 10 meters
away, he said.

Several minutes later, a man, identified as Yopie, approached
Alfius and offered him putauw, the prosecutor said.

When the officer indicated his interest, Yopie phoned Fatoni
and asked the latter to meet with the new "customer", he said.

After a few minutes of bargaining, the undercover police
pretended to agree to purchase 60 grams of heroin for Rp 9
million, he said.

Prosecutor Leonard said that when the officer showed Fatoni he
had Rp 3 million as a downpayment for the transaction, the
defendant removed a packet from his jeans pocket which contained
40 grams of white powder and showed it to the buyer.

The undercover detective, with the help of the other two
officers, then apprehended Fatoni.

The judge, however, did not disclose what happened to Yopie.

During police questioning, Fatoni said that he bought the
heroin for Rp 130,000 per gram from a Nigerian, identified as
John, at a hotel in Pasar Baru area, Central Jakarta.

The defendant was charged under article 23 (5) of Law 9/1976
on narcotics.

Presiding judge Imam Purnomo adjourned the trial until next
week to hear the defendant's lawyers' plea. (jun)