DENPASAR - The panel of judges at the Denpasar District Court, Bali, sentenced Russian citizen Andrei Zharin (40) to 5 years and 8 months for smuggling marijuana paste disguised as facial cream.
In the verdict read out at the Denpasar District Court, the panel of judges, chaired by Gde Putra Astawa, also sentenced the Russian national to a fine of Rp 1 billion, or an additional 6 months in prison.
"The judge declares that the defendant Andrei Zharin has been legally and convincingly proven guilty of committing the crime of illegally or unlawfully importing Class I narcotics," the judge stated, as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, August 21.
In his deliberations, the judge rejected the defendant's argument that he brought the drugs to treat a medical condition because the evidence found exceeded the recommended dosage for abusers. The judge considered the defendant's actions contrary to the spirit of eradicating narcotics crimes in Indonesia.
The sentence was lighter than the Bali High Prosecutor's (JPU) demand, which had previously sought a sentence of 8 years and 6 months in prison and a fine of Rp 1 billion, or an additional 6 months.
Upon hearing the verdict, both the defendant and the JPU expressed their acceptance.
Previously, the Public Prosecutor's indictment stated that the case began when Andrei arrived at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport early Sunday morning (January 26th), after flying from Phuket, Thailand, on Air Asia flight QZ 247.
In his suitcase, Customs and Excise officers found a package of NIVEA face cream containing a brownish-yellow paste.
After examination in a forensic laboratory, the paste was found to contain Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a Schedule I narcotic (the main psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant).
Evidence confiscated from the defendant included a package of cream containing THC paste weighing 181.08 grams gross and 179.52 grams net.
In addition, police also confiscated a smoking device, a bundle of "My Bali Store" stickers, a purple iPhone, and boarding passes and customs documents in the name of Andrei Zharin.
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