Aceh Man Gets Life in Prison for Smuggling 2.6 Tons of Marijuana

The Kalianda state court in South Lampung on Wednesday sentenced a man to life in prison for transporting 2.6 tons of marijuana from Aceh and another man to 20 years’ imprisonment for assisting the former.

Bustami, a 49-year-old also known as Ucok bin Ismail and from Cut Seurani village in Bireun, Aceh, was given the life sentence for transporting the marijuana hidden under a load of avocado fruits on a truck. He and his assistant, Munardi bin Abdullah, were arrested at the Bakauheni port in Lampung during a routine check on trucks on Aug. 20, 2012.

State news agency Antara said that besides the 20-year jail sentence, Munardi was also ordered to pay a fine of Rp 1 billion ($103,000).

Afit Rufianto, head of the panel of presiding judges, said the two defendants were guilty of violating the 2009 Law on Narcotics, Antara reported on its website.

Bustami requested time to decide whether to appeal, while Munardi said he accepted the verdict.

Bustami had told the court that he was given the assignment by a man identified as Sahrul, whom police are still hunting. He was promised Rp 15 million to bring the marijuana cargo to Jakarta.

After accepting the offer, Bustami then contacted Munardi to act as his assistant mechanic on the truck.