The prosecutors had found sufficient evidence to prove that Nur Fadli, M. Rahmad, Safrizal, Mahadir Muhammad, Tgk Mansur, and Nasrun had become drug couriers, Prosecutor Febrina Sebayang remarked.
The defendants were found to have violated Article 114 (2) of Indonesia's Drug Law Number 35 of 2009 and Article 55 (1) of Indonesia's Criminal Code, she stated.
Sebayang emphasized that the defendants' acts were indubitably against the Indonesian Government's war on drugs.
The six defendants' drug case was uncovered following the arrest of Luthfi at the Kualanamu International Airport in North Sumatra Province on September 21, 2023.
The Medan District Court's panel of judges, headed by Erianto Siagian, adjourned the trial until next week to hear the defendants' defense plea.
Related news: Jakarta police arrest drug courier carrying 55,000 ecstasy pills
ANTARA reported earlier that drug trafficking still poses threats to North Sumatra as well as several other provinces in Sumatra Island, as domestic and transnational drug dealers consider Indonesia to be a potential market due to its vast population and millions of drug users.
The value of drug trade in the country is estimated to have reached nearly Rp66 trillion, with the number of drug trafficking cases continuing to surge.
A joint survey conducted by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) in 2019 pegged the number of drug users in Indonesia at over 3.4 million.
The survey conducted in 34 provinces indicated that about 180 out of every 10 thousand Indonesians in the age group of 15 to 64 years were addicted to drugs.
The users of crystal methamphetamine, narcotics, marijuana, and other types of addictive drugs can belong to any community and socioeconomic and cultural background.
Related news: N Sumatra police arrest courier, seize 28 kg drugs
Translator: M.Sahbainy N, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
