Lithuanian Sentenced To 15 Years In Jail For Narcotics Possession

Denpasar (Antara Bali) -- The district court in Denpasar, Bali, sentenced Lithuanian national Viktoras Lisenkovas (41) to 15 years in jail and also fined him Rp6 billion for possessing 3.961 kilograms of methamphetamine.

"The defendant has been proven guilty of exporting and importing narcotic drugs weighing more than five grams, which violates Article 113 paragraph 2 of Law Number 35 of 2009 on narcotics," Chief Judge I Made Suweda said here on Wednesday.

In the previous session, the public prosecutor demanded 20 years in jail and a fine of Rp1 billion or two months more in jail for the defendant.

The judge noted that with his actions, the defendant had damaged the reputation of Bali as one of the country`s most important international tourist destinations.

However, the judge also spoke in his favor, stating that the defendant had been polite during the sessions and expressed regret over his actions.

Lisenkovas was caught by security authorities at around 1.30 a. m. on August 11 upon arrival at Ngurah Rai Airport from Hong Kong aboard Hong Kong Airline HX709, which serves the Hong Kong-Denpasar route.

He was arrested after customs officers discovered six plastic bags that contained 3.961 kilograms of methamphetamine after they conducted thorough checks on his baggage following suspicious X-Ray examination results.

Upon hearing the verdict, the defendant remarked that he would think over whether he would accept it or file an appeal. (WDY)