T

he West Jakarta District Court has found the finance manager of MG International nightclub in Tanjung Duren, West Jakarta, guilty of coordinating the distribution of liquid ecstasy sentenced him to 19 years in prison.

The panel of judges, led by presiding judge Agus Pambudi, read the verdict against Syamsul Anwar, aka Awang, in a trial on Thursday evening. The court also ordered Syamsul to pay Rp 1 billion (US$67,463) in fines or spend an additional three months in prison.

The verdict was based on Syamsul’s defense plea, in which he admitted to following the orders of his boss, Agung Ashari, aka Rudi, the owner of the nightclub.

“The defendant has been proven guilty of committing a drug crime,” Agus said as he read the verdict, adding that Syamsul had violated the 2009 Law on narcotics, tribunnews.com reported.

The sentence was lighter than the prosecutors’ demand of life in prison. The judges said that aggravating factors against the defendant included his failure to help the government eradicate drug use.

Mitigating factors included his polite behavior throughout the hearing, his admittance of guilt and the fact that he has a family.

Syamsul and his attorney Abubakar Lamatapo have one week to decide whether to challenge or accept the sentence. Abubakar regretted the verdict, arguing that Syamsul had only followed his employer’s orders.

“The verdict is still too high. He was only an employee who managed the [club’s] finances. He did what did based on his boss’ orders,” he said as reported by Antara news agency.

Abubakar also questioned the investigation conducted by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), which has been able to capture Rudi. This, he claimed, had put a strain on his client.

Rudi has been on the police’s wanted list since he fled during the raid on his nightclub on Dec. 17, 2017. He reportedly fled to Makassar, South Sulawesi.

Besides Syamsul, there were six other defendants in the case, all of whom were arrested during last year’s raid by the BNN.

Officers of the agency also confiscated 13 kilograms of liquid ecstasy packaged in several 330 milliliter plastic bottles.

The raid came following suspicions that the nightclub was selling drugs referred to aqua getar (quivering water), aqua setan (Satan’s water) and Vitamin.

Only registered members of the club who had passed a strict screening process were able to purchase the liquid ecstasy for Rp 400,000 (US$70) per bottle.

The drug contained the rare chemical formula MDA, instead of the usual MDMA, or a synthetic drug commonly known as ecstasy. The effects of liquid ecstasy, however, are similar to that of MDMA, BNN drug control head Insp. Gen. Arman Depari said after the raid last year.

The liquid form of ecstasy was easier and more practical to produce than manufacturing pills, he added. The drug in liquid form, which looks clear like water, also has a faster effect than conventional ecstasy pills as liquids are more quickly absorbed and distributed throughout the body.

MDA was first sold as a recreational drug in the 1960s and was dubbed the “love drug”, because of its effect on enhancing moods and sensations. (stu)