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Malaysian gets death sentence for trafficking 46.5 kg of crystal meth
Ng Hai Kuan (center)
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Ng Hai Kuan (center). (Rizal Harahap/JP) (center). (Rizal Harahap/JP)
Ng Hai Kuan (center). (JP/Rizal Harahap)
The panel of judges at the Pekanbaru District Court on Tuesday handed down a death sentence to Ng Hai Kuan, known as Jimmy, 55, for trafficking 46.5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine worth Rp 180 billion (US$12.50 million).
Presided Judge Amin Ismanto decided that Jimmy was guilty of owning the crystal methamphetamine, which was stored in 93 packages that were seized by the Riau Police at Hotel Parma in Pekanbaru, on April 2.
'The first class narcotics were obtained from a man identified only with the initials ABE, a Malacca resident in Malaysia. The drugs were to be sent to ABE's friend in Palembang, South Sumatra,' Amin said.
A number of witnesses had testified in previous hearings that the narcotics were taken in two travel bags that were smuggled through a small port in Dumai city, transported in a speedboat. The key to the two travel bags had been sent by ABE to the buyer in Palembang.
Amin said that Jimmy had violated articles 113 and 132 of Law No. 35/2009 on narcotics.
Previously, Jimmy has twice been arrested for being involvement in narcotics. In 2004, he was arrested by the Malaysian police for owning ecstasy pills. He was freed after paying bail. He was arrested again in 2008 on similar charges.
The panel of judges deemed that Jimmy had committed serious crimes that could spark social unrest and could destroy the young generation. 'The defendant was aware that what they were doing violated Indonesian laws. Therefore, the panel of judges do not see any factors that could commute the sentence,' Amin said.
After consulting with his lawyers, Jimmy said that he would appeal to a higher court to have the death sentence downgraded.
Syahrir, Jimmy's lawyer, said that the panel of judges had wrongly invoked articles 113 and 132 of the Narcotics Law because Jimmy was not actually an owner of the narcotics; only a carrier. 'He is not an importer. It was not him who brought the narcotics from Malaysia,' he added. (bbn)
