Woman tried for consuming'putaw'

JAKARTA (JP): A woman was indicted at Central Jakarta District Court yesterday for possessing and consuming putaw, a low-grade heroin.

Prosecutor Shinta Sasanti said Eva Linda Gunawan, 28, was arrested by undercover police officers in her rented house on Jl. Kartini, Central Jakarta, on Aug. 25.

Shinta said the officers found a small plastic bag containing 0.006 grams of heroin in the defendant's cigarette packet.

Eva, an employee of a discotheque in West Jakarta, told presiding judge Pangeran Siregar that she had only taken heroin twice before the arrest.

She said that she got the heroin from a friend, called Ira, who is still at large, the prosecutor said.

"Police said in their dossier that they had watched the defendant's rented house for more than a month."

Eva was charged under Article 23 (5) and (7) of Law No. 9/1976 on narcotics, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail and fines of Rp 15 million (US$4,166).

Siregar adjourned the trial until next week to hear witnesses' testimonies. (jun)