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Court sends drug mules to life, 20 years in jail
The Sleman District Court in Yogyakarta sentenced two convicted drug traffickers, Tuti Herawati and Jumidah, to life and to 20 years in prison, respectively, on Friday
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he Sleman District Court in Yogyakarta sentenced two convicted drug traffickers, Tuti Herawati and Jumidah, to life and to 20 years in prison, respectively, on Friday.
'The verdict is handed down with the purpose of rehabilitating both defendants,' chairperson of the justice board, Weryatmi, said in the verdict.
State prosecutors had demanded the death sentence for both defendants for violating the 2009 Narcotics Law.
Weyatmi said the lighter verdict had been given because two other suspects in the case had yet to be brought to justice.
'The other suspects are the ones who will receive the harshest sentence,' the judge said. The fact that the defendants were both mothers ' Tuti, a mother of two, was 5-month pregnant ' were among the mitigating factors, the judge said.
The case began when Tuti was asked by her boyfriend Danny, a Nigerian, to pick up a hand bag from another Nigerian named Jim in Guangzhou, China, to be sold in Jakarta. Tuti then asked her friend Jumidah to help her with a payment of Rp 5 million. They made three round trips for the same purpose before they were arrested.
Tuti and Jumidah were arrested at Adi Sutjipto Airport in Yogyakarta after arriving on a flight from Guangzhao, China.
Tuti, who was sentenced to life, was caught in possession of 2.13 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine. Jumidah was caught with 1.92 kg of the same drug.
The court has levied Rp 1 billion fines on both of them in addition to the prison sentences. For Jumidah, failure to pay the fine will result in an additional two-months imprisonment.
Tuti and Jumidah said they needed time consider whether to appeal the verdict. State prosecutors Slamet Supriadi and Muhammad Fahrorozi said the same.
Adnan Pambudi, one of the defendants' lawyers from the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI), said judges failed to consider the fact that Tuti and Jumidah were victims of an international drug rig. 'They are victims. They were asked and agreed to pick up goods, not drugs,' Adnan said.
The government has taken stern measures against drug crimes. The Attorney General's Office recently executed 14 drug convicts, including 12 foreigners.
