Thai gets life sentence for drug trafficking
Thai gets life sentence for drug trafficking
JAKARTA (JP): Judge R.P.A. Mangkoediningrat of the Central Jakarta District Court sentenced yesterday to life imprisonment Sae Lim Iaw, a Thai national, for his involvement in a drug trafficking case.
"The board of judges has agreed to imprison defendant Sae Lim Iaw alias Boon Tan for life because he is found guilty for his involvement as one of the parties who imported and tried to sell the banned substance here," judge Mangkoediningrat said.
Before the judge read his verdict he asked Boon Tan to stand up and after reading the verdict, the defendant, accompanied by his interpreter, made a deep Thai-style bow to show his respect.
Boon Tan looked calm as the judge asked him whether he understood the verdict, then informed Boon Tan he had the right to appeal to a higher court.
Boon Tan and his lawyer told the judge that the defendant will use his right of seven days to decide whether or not to file an appeal.
Prosecutor Meity Joseph, who had requested Boon Tan be given the death penalty, also told the judge that she will use her seven days to think whether or not an appeal to a higher court is necessary.
"I cannot decide now whether or not I have to report on this verdict to my superior first," she said.
The judge said, the fact that Boon Tan had played a minor role in the drug case had made the board of judges give the defendant a lighter sentence.
Boon Tan was caught by the police in the Hotel Indonesia, Central Jakarta, on May 11, as he and two accomplices, Tham Tuck Yin alias A Tjai, a Malaysian, and Freddy A Thing, a local, were showing a sample of the 29 kilograms of heroin to a potential buyer.
A Tjai was sentenced, by the same court, to death on Jan. 17.
In previous court sessions, Boon Tan denied that he was involved in the drug case because he was paid by another Thai, Thamanoon Saepho, to be an interpreter for his man, A Tjai, who did not understand the buyer's language, Hokkian.
Boon Tan said he was not aware that the meeting was the negotiation of a drug deal until the police raided room 433 in Hotel Indonesia.
However, Boon Tan's statement was denied by Freddy, who said that it was Boon Tan and A Tjai who played major roles in the heroin deal.
Boon Tan admitted that the heroin itself was owned by Thamanoon, who had ordered A Tjai to transport it by a small boat from Thailand to Belawan Port in Medan, North Sumatra, before bringing it by bus to Jakarta.
A Tjai then hid the heroin in Freddy's house on Jl. Patriot in Bekasi.
The drug raid is the biggest heroin bust in Indonesian history. The second largest drug haul was recorded seven years ago in Samarinda, east Kalimantan, when police captured a Thai national with 17.7 kilograms of heroin.
A number of foreigners were given the death penalty last year for trafficking heroin in Indonesia.
In June, West Jakarta District Court sentenced 39-year-old Chan Tin Chong of Malaysia to death for attempting to smuggle 429 grams of heroin into Indonesia.
In Medan last September, the North Sumatra District Court also sentenced two Thai nationals, Sealow Prasert, 55, and Namsong Sirilak, 22 as well as an Indian, Ayodya Prasat Chawbey, 53, to death after they were found guilty of smuggling 12.19 kilograms of heroin. (mas)