S. African gets life imprisonment for trafficking drugs into Bali
South African national Brett Theo Savage was sentenced to life imprisonment for illegally trafficking 2.97 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine to Bali.
Presiding Judge IGAB Komang Wijaya Adhi told Denpasar District Court that the 44-year-old defendant was a member of an organized narcotics syndicate, which has a wide international network.
"He is proven guilty of violating our law on narcotics," the judge said. Law No. 35/2009, article 113, stipulates carrying or producing anything over 5 grams of narcotics is illegal.
The verdict was heavier that the prosecutor's demand for 17 years in jail, plus a fine of Rp 2 billion (S$260.00) or a further two years imprisonment.
"The defendant has committed an unlawful act, which is against the government's program to eradicate drug trafficking in Indonesia," the judge said.
Besides, Savage was considered impolite and arrogant during the court sessions.
"He did not admit to nor regret any of his wrongdoings," the judge added, pointing at the smiling Savage.
Defense Lawyer Maya Arsanti said she would immediately appeal the judge's verdict. "The verdict is too heavy. He has a job and has never committed any crime before," the lawyer explained.
Savage, who worked as a restaurant general manager in his home country, was arrested once he arrived at Ngurah Rai International Airport flying in from Johannesburg, South Africa, on Singapore Airlines on Oct. 19, 2011.
Officials at Ngurah Rai Airport found two bags of crystal meth weighing about 2.97 kilograms, which was to be handed over to an Indonesian woman, named Sri Handajani, at Hotel Oranjje in Denpasar.
Handayani has already been sentenced to 10 years in jail. Handayani said that the drugs were to have been delivered to the Nigerian soccer player Osita Emmanuel Obumneme, who has also been sentenced to seven years in jail.
Savage's was the second drugs case involving a South African national in just one week.
Last Monday, the Denpasar District Court also sentenced 38-year-old South African woman Sheilla Motsweneng to 15 years in prison for illegally trafficking 2.5 kilograms of crystal meth. She was arrested on Oct. 23, 2011, upon arriving at Ngurah Rai International Airport from Singapore. Motsweneng said she was about to hand over the drugs to Elis Supradingrum. The police also arrested Supradiningrum and another drug dealer, Adiranto, in Sidoardjo, East Java.
Bali Police data reveals that both illegal drug use and the drug trade have steadily increased over the years. In 2010, there were 718 recorded drug-related cases, up by 14 per cent from 628 recorded cases in 2009. Throughout 2010, police arrested 490 suspected drug dealers and 200 suspected drug users, 27 of whom were foreign nationals. Bali is among several of the world's top tourist destinations targeted by international drug rings bent on maximizing their profits from the growing and increasingly lucrative drug market. The island has also become a haven for African drug traffickers from South Africa, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Togo and other countries. Indonesia, Bali in particular, has been mapped as a soft transit point for international drug dealers
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