Banjarmasin Prosecutor Executes IDR 1 Billion Fine from Narcotics Convicts

Photo via Antara

JAKARTA - The Prosecutor's Office of Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan has executed a criminal verdict of a fine of IDR 1 billion from a convict of a narcotics case with the initials M who was sentenced to seven years in prison and a fine of IDR 1 billion, subsidiary to three months in prison.

"In addition to IDR 1 billion, the convict also paid IDR 5 million for a subsidiary of two months in prison for a money laundering case (TPPU), which is sentenced to two years and a fine of IDR 5 million", said Banjarmasin Prosecutor's Office, Indah Laila, in Banjarmasin on Friday, October 21, as reported by Antara.

The execution by the prosecutor was based on the decision of Judge Number 1224 of 2015 at the Banjarmasin District Court in the case of narcotics crime and Judge's decision Number 820 of 2016 in the case of money laundering.

Convict M is not alone. In the same case, two other people were also sentenced to the same crime, namely A and T for possession of more than 200 grams of crystal methamphetamine and the three of them are currently languishing in the Banjarmasin Penitentiary.

However, only M paid the criminal fine, and payments were made by the family on Thursday, October 20 to the Banjarmasin Prosecutor's Office to be deposited directly into the state treasury account through a state-owned bank.

Indah admits that a convict who pays a fine is rare, but prefers to undergo a subsidiary sentence.

Even the payment of IDR 1 billion in fines is the highest value ever executed by a prosecutor in South Kalimantan.

"For the Prosecutor's Office this is a non-tax state revenue (PNBP) and an achievement in itself in dealing with narcotics cases", he said accompanied by Head of Intelligence Dimas Purnama Putra and Head of Pidum, Roy Modino.

He also hopes that the prosecution's demands for severe punishment, including the threat of a fine to the verdict of the panel of judges, will also have a deterrent effect on the dealers.

"Our dealers are firmly committed to demanding the maximum punishment, but for addicts as victims, we also encourage them to be rehabilitated, not imprisoned through restorative justice", he explained.

The narcotics case in the Banjarmasin Prosecutor's Office is indeed the most dominant compared to other cases for general crimes delegated to the police.

Throughout 2022, from January to October, there were 235 narcotics cases handled by prosecutors, or an average of 24 cases per month.