Thai gets 15 years for heroin possession

TANGERANG (JP): Thai national Khancana Thiangthum, 29, could wept on Tuesday after a presiding judge sentenced her to 15 years in prison plus a fine of Rp 150 million (US$20,000) after finding her guilty of possession of heroin.

"The defendant was found guilty of violating Article 81 of Law No. 22/1997 on narcotics for being in possession of 1,750 grams of heroin," said presiding judge Lucia Usmany.

"The defendant arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Aug. 31 last year on Thai Airlines flight number TG 433 from Bangkok," she added.

Lucia explained that customs officers became suspicious when Khancana paced back and forth in front of the customs counter while holding a blue bag.

"Security officers then approached the defendant and put her luggage through an X-ray machine. The monitor revealed a suspicious result," she said, adding that officers found white powder inside the bag.

A report from the police's forensic laboratory, dated Sept. 30 last year, confirmed that the powder was pure heroin.

"I was waiting for another Thai, Hanken, who was to collect the luggage. I didn't even know that it contained heroin," Khancana told the court. She said she received US$2,000 to carry the luggage to Indonesia.

Khancana's lawyer, John Kalangit, said he was considering appealing the verdict. The sentence was exactly the same as that demanded by prosecutor Supriati. (41/nvn)