Drug-smuggling teacher may face death penalty

Theresia Avilla Yanti Siwi, 39, an English teacher at a private school in Malang, East Java, is likely to face the death penalty for smuggling 3.5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, locally known as shabu shabu.

During the first trial at the Denpasar District Court in Bali on Monday, public prosecutor Ketut Sukada charged Theresia under Articles 112 and 113 of the 2009 Narcotics Law regarding the illegal possession of narcotics which carries a maximum sentence of death as reported by Antara.

Theresia was arrested at the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali on Oct. 10 last year after disembarking from Qatar Airways flight number QR-638 which had just arrived from Kenya.

The drugs, worth Rp 9.3 billion (US$1 million), were found hidden in a secret compartment in her suitcase.

Theresia told the police that she was promised a payment of US$700 by Erika Dewi Widya Yanti for carrying the drugs, which she fetched from a man named Mark in Mozambique. The plan was to sell the drugs in Jakarta and Bali.

Erika and another suspect named Imron have been detained by the police and are now on trial for separate drug cases. (tas)