Escaped The Death Penalty, Courier 267 Kg Of Marijuana In Medan Imprisoned For Life

Chief Judge Sayed Tarmizi (center) read out the verdict online at the Medan District Court, North Sumatra, Thursday (26/10/2023). (ANTARA/M Sahbainy Nasution)

The panel of judges at the Medan District Court, North Sumatra, sentenced the defendant Sabri alias Bri to life in the case of being a courier for marijuana-type narcotics weighing 267 kilograms.

"Meanwhile, the defendant Sapuan Idris alias Idris was sentenced to 20 years in prison and a fine of Rp. 2 billion, subsidiary to six months in prison," said Chief Judge Sayed Tarmizi at the Medan District Court, reported by ANTARA, Thursday, October 26.

From the facts of the trial, the panel of judges believed that the two defendants were proven and guilty of violating Article 114 paragraph (2) of the Republic of Indonesia Law no. 35 of 2009 concerning Narcotics in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) of the 1st Criminal Code, as the primary indictment.

In essence, Sayed said, namely committing or participating in criminal acts without rights or against the law offering to be sold, selling, buying, receiving, intermediary in buying and selling, exchanging, or handing over class I narcotics in the form of plants in the form of 17 white plastic burlap sacks containing 267,000 grams (267 kilograms) of dried marijuana leaves.

"The thing that burdens the two defendants does not support the government's program in eradicating drugs, while the thing that relieves the two defendants is being polite at trial, admitting, and regretting their actions," he said.

Sayed added that the difference in decision was due to the different roles of the two defendants and the justice side in the verdict.

After reading the verdict, the panel of judges gave seven days to think to the Public Prosecutor (JPU) of the North Sumatra Prosecutor's Office, the defendant's legal adviser and the defendant to accept or appeal the decision.

This decision is lighter than the demands of the North Sumatra Attorney General's Office, Sri Delyanti, two defendants were charged with the death penalty.

The indictment revealed that on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, officers from the North Sumatra Police Narcotics Directorate received information from the public that there was a shipment of dried marijuana leaves from Aceh to Medan.

Then the North Sumatra Police officer saw the characteristics of the car in Bandar Tongging Tigapanah Village, Tigapanah District, Karo Regency, and stopped the car.

Furthermore, the personnel conducted an inspection in the car which found 17 burlap sacks weighing 267 kilograms of marijuana. As a result of the interrogation, the two defendants got it from Jais to be handed over in Medan. They were given a salary of Rp. 30 million.