Russian jailed for 10 months

Russian jailed for 10 months

DENPASAR, Bali: A Bali court on Wednesday sentenced a Russian man to 10 months in jail and fined him US$520 for possession of marijuana, his lawyer said.

Alexei Pestov, 25, was found guilty of possessing 2.5 grams of marijuana following his arrest on New Year's Eve in Denpasar, said lawyer Haposan Sihombing.

Prosecutors had initially demanded a 11-month jail term for Pestov, but Sihombing said his client had admitted to being a "long-time" addict and had apologized for his action.

Pestov's sentence came following the arrest of nine young Australians this week for possessing 10.9 kilograms of heroin due to be smuggled into Australia via Bali.

Another Australian woman is awaiting verdict for allegedly trafficking cannabis into Bali. -- AFP