'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)