Brazilian Citizen Carrying 3.6 Kg Of Cocaine In Bali Sentenced To 11 Years In Prison

Denpasar District Court's trial against Brazilian citizen Manuela Victoria de Araujo Farias at Denpasar District Court, Bali, Thursday (8/6/2023). ANTARA/Rolandus Nampu

The panel of judges at the Denpasar District Court sentenced Brazilian citizen Manuela Victoria de Araujo Farias (19) to 11 years in prison for being proven to have brought 3.6 kilograms of cocaine.

Denpasar District Court Judge Gede Putra Astawa at the Denpasar District Court, Bali, stated that the foreign national (WNA) was proven legally and convincingly carrying and smuggling cocaine weighing 3.6 kilograms and 4 psychotropic items weighing 0.72 grams net.

In its ruling, the panel of judges declared the defendant Manuela legally and convincingly without the right to import narcotics class I and psychotropics to Bali.

"The trial, sentenced the defendant Manuela Victoriade Araujo Farias to 11 years in prison minus the defendant serving a prison term and a fine of Rp. 1 billion, subsidiary of 1 year in prison," said Astawa as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, June 8.

Ordered by the panel of judges, the defendant Manuela Victoriade Araujo Farias was still detained.

The judge's decision was lower than the demands of the public prosecutor (JPU) Dewa Gede Ari Kusumajaya who demanded 12 years in prison.

The judge charged Manuela with multiple articles, namely Article 113 paragraph (2) of Law Number 35 of 2009 concerning Narcotics and Article 61 paragraph (1) letter a of Law Number 5 of 1997 concerning Psychotropics as stated in the first alternative indictment of the Public Prosecutor.

Based on the judge's decision, the prosecutor and the defendant's legal adviser expressed their thoughts. The panel of judges also gave legal advisors and prosecutors 7 days to respond to the decision.

The case of cocaine smuggling involving Brazilian citizens was first revealed to the public by the Bali Regional Police. At a press conference session on Friday (27 January 2023), Bali Police Chief Inspector General Pol. Putu Jayan Danu Putra said that the police arrested MVDAF on Sunday (1/1).

Putu Jayan said the disclosure of the case began with an Ngurah Rai Customs and Excise officer who suspected a Brazilian woman who arrived at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport using a Qatar Airways plane.

At that time, he said, immigration and Customs officers examined two suitcases brought by the Samba woman from her country.

During the examination, in the first suitcase, joint officers found two packages of cocaine packaging, each with a net weight of about 990 grams and 637 grams.

In the second suitcase, three packages of cocaine were found, each with a net weight of 891 grams, 711 grams and 379 grams.

The total weight of narcotics in the type of cocaine brought by Brazilian citizens weighs 3,950 grams gross or 3,608 grams net, while psychotropic types of cloneazepam weighing 1,63 grams gross or 0.72 grams net.

Meanwhile, the Director of Drug Investigation (Dirresnarkoba) of the Bali Police, Kombes Iwan Eka Putra, stated that the Brazilian woman was used by a drug network in his country. He did not know that the prohibited items were in his suitcase.

Because she was interested in being sent to school by her colleague, the woman was desperate to bring two suitcases containing narcotics for a dealer in Bali.

However, before the goods were given to the dealer in Bali, the person concerned was first arrested by the Bali Police.