REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MATARAM -- The West Nusa Tenggara District Court started the trial of the drug smuggling case of French citizen Dorfin Felix here on Thursday. During the hearing, 35-year-old Felix was not accompanied by his lawyer team.
Due to this situation, Isnurul Syamsul Arif, who headed the panel of judges, ordered the public prosecutor to provide the defendant with a lawyer and a translator. Arif then announced the adjournment of the court proceeding until March 4.
Felix was arrested at the Zainuddin Abdul Madjid International Airport on Sept 21, 2018, for carrying a package containing 2,477.95 grams of methylenedioxy methamphetamine (MDMA), 206.83 grams of ketamine, and 256.69 grams of amphetamine. The airport's Customs and Excise authorities who checked Felix's luggage and hand carriage also found 850 ecstasy pills.
In connection with Felix's drug case, Head of the West Nusa Tenggara High Court's Narcotics Unit Ginung Pratidina stated recently that Felix had been proven to have brought the drugs while arriving at the airport. Ginung Pratidina further revealed that Felix was not a drug user as his urine test was negative for drugs. Therefore, he was not charged with Article 127 of Law No.35 of 2009 on Narcotics, which regulates matters related to drug users.
Indonesia remains perceived by both local and trans-national drug dealers as their potential market because of its huge population and millions of drug users. The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) noted that some 50 Indonesians die of illicit drugs every day, while the total number of drug users in the country has reached seven million.
The value of the drug trade in the country is estimated to have reached at least Rp66 trillion. Considering the above reality, drug trafficking activities have appeared to be an ongoing threat to Indonesia's security and human resources.
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