(10/6/2012)
A 30-year-old Russian faces the possibility of 11 years in prison for trying to smuggle one kilogram of methamphetamine into Bali concealed in capsules inside his alimentary tract.
Charged before the Denpasar District Court is Alexander Simonov who prosecutors says violated the 2009 anti-narcotics law for smuggling 915 grams of sabu-sabu into Indonesia.
In the opening trial proceedings, prosecutors asked the court to impose a prison sentence of 11 years on the Russian and an additional fine of Rp. 1 billion (US$105,260) with the understanding that a failure to pay the fine would add three additional months to the man’s prison term.
Quoted in Beritabali.com, the chief prosecutor in the case, Gunawan Tri Budiono, told the Court that Simonov’s actions threaten to injure the image of Bali tourism.
Indonesian Custom’s officials at Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport arrested Simonov after he disembarked Malaysian Airline MH 715 on April 24, 2012. The drugs were later found concealed in 88 capsules concealed in the man’s gut.
Authorities place the street value of the drugs at Rp. 549 million (US$57,800).
Simonov reportedly purchased the dugs in India for US$1,500.
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