Vietnam Women Sentenced To Jail For Illegal Drug

Medan, North Sumatra, Jan 27 (ANTARA) - A Vietnamese woman, Nguyen Thi Tuyet Trinh, has been sentenced to 16 years in jail for illegal possession of one kilogram of drugs at the District Court of Medan. The sentence was equal to that demanded by the Public Prosecutor of the North Sumatra Supreme Court Dwi Mely Nova. Head of the Medan District Court SB Hutagalung said Thursday (Jan 26) the condemned was also fined one billion rupiah or five months imprisonment. Besides, the condemned was also guilty of violating article 112 (paragraph 2) law no 35 of 2009 on drugs. The weight of the drugs and its effect to the young generation was burdensome to the condemned, but her good attitude in all of court sessions lightened the punishment. Nguyen was arrested on June 2, 2011, after she arrived at Medan Polonia Airport from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and according to an X-ray examination, there was a suspicious of her bags. The custom officer brought the suspicious bag in the examination room and founded one kilogram of white crystal powder. The condemned said she got the drugs from an African, called Uche, at a coffee store in Bangkok, Thailand. "I am not guilty because the drugs were not mine, and it belonged to the African who asked me to bring it to Medan," said Nguyen.