56 year olds woman smuggles 2.5 million worth of Cocaine.

[Silver_Knight]

http://news.yahoo.com/indonesia-sent...062215742.html

BALI, Indonesia (AP) — An Indonesian court sentenced a British grandmother to death on Tuesday for smuggling cocaine worth $2.5 million in her suitcase onto the resort island of Bali — even though prosecutors had sought only a 15-year sentence.

Lindsay June Sandiford, 56, wept when judges handed down the sentence and declined to speak to reporters on her way back to prison, covering her face with a floral scarf. She had claimed in court that she was forced to take the drugs into the country by a gang that was threatening to hurt her children.

Indonesia, like many Asian countries, is very strict on drug crimes, and most of the more than 40 foreigners on its death row were convicted of drug charges.

Sandiford's lawyer said she would appeal, a process that can take several years. Condemned criminals face a firing squad in Indonesia, which has not carried out an execution since 2008, when 10 people were put to death.

A verdict is expected in the trial of Sandiford's alleged accomplice, Briton Julian Anthony Pounder, next Tuesday. He is accused of receiving the drugs in Bali, which has a busy bar and nightclub scene where party drugs such as cocaine and Ecstasy are bought and sold between foreigners. Two other British citizens and an Indian have already been convicted and sentenced to prison in connection with the bust.

In London, British Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire told lawmakers Wednesday that the government strongly opposes Sandiford's sentence.

"We strongly object to the death penalty and continue to provide consular assistance to Lindsay and her family during this difficult time," he said.

Martin Horwood, a member of Parliament representing Sandiford's Cheltenham constituency in western England, called the sentence a shock and said he would raise the case with Foreign Secretary William Hague.

"The days of the death penalty ought to be past. This is not the way that a country that now values democracy and human rights should really be behaving," Horwood told the BBC.

Harriet McCulloch of human rights charity Reprieve, which is assisting Sandiford, urged the British government to support her appeal.

"Lindsay has always maintained that she only agreed to carry the package to Bali after receiving threats against the lives of her family," McCulloch said. "She is clearly not a drug kingpin — she has no money to pay for a lawyer, for the travel costs of defense witnesses or even for essentials like food and water."

In its verdict, a panel of Denpasar District Court judges concluded that Sandiford had damaged the image of Bali as a tourism destination and weakened the government's drug prevention program.

"We found no reason to lighten her sentence," said Amser Simanjuntak, who headed the judicial panel.

Prosecutors had been seeking a 15-year prison sentence for Sandiford, who was arrested in May when customs officers at Bali's airport discovered 3.8 kilograms (8.4 pounds) of cocaine in the lining of her luggage.

State prosecutor Lie Putra Setiawan told reporters that the verdict was "appropriate," explaining that prosecutors had been demanding 15 years because of Sandiford's age.

Indonesia has 114 prisoners on death row, according to a March 2012 study by Australia's Lowy Institute for International Policy. Five foreigners have been executed since 1998, all for drug crimes, according to the institute.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has granted clemency to four drug offenders on death row since he took office in 2004.

The most publicized recent case internationally is that of Schapelle Corby, an Australian convicted of smuggling marijuana in 2005. Her 20-year sentence was reduced last year and she is now eligible for parole, but she remains imprisoned.

___

Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.

[Cybertox]

Why all the recent smugglers elder women? Less attention to them being payed is not really a valid reason.

[Silver_Knight]

I wish i had all that cocaine. I would go to Miami and sell some to those Cubans.

[Cybertox]

I wish i had all that cocaine. I would go to Miami and sell some to those Cubans.

If to Miami, I would certainly join you.

[claud3]

well she is old and her fanny, does look like a hollowed out tunnel

[Silver_Knight]

If to Miami, I would certainly join you.

I'm only a couple hours away. We can do this, man,

[SHAZZMAZZ]

Death because of drugs shit man what would happen to her if she killed sum one

[keefy]

No doubt she isnt the mastermind behind it and that what she says is true.
It often happens a gang aproaches vulnerable people under the guise of a nice person maybe a woman or a couple and befriend the mug/mark and offer to pay for theirr tickets and accomodation basically everything but they keep the passport and driving license so they know exactly where they live.

[Kuro]

Damn..that grandma was hardcore.

[Gantz]

Well with her sacrifice she'll teach her grandkids even from beyond not to mess with drugs.

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[Fenix]

Death penalty over drugs seems a bit insane, curious how they handle murderers, pedophiles, and rapists now though

[spyrde]

A death sentence is pretty damn harsh for that, but honestly smuggling that much drugs should not go lightly punished. I don't care if she's a 56-year-old grandma, what she did was a really harsh crime. Hopefully she's telling the truth about her being forced to smuggle the drugs and the police will look into it, but she also could be just lying so people would sympathize and go easy on her in the courtroom.

[Wrath]

well she is old and her fanny, does look like a hollowed out tunnel

You disgust me.

This is a 56-year old grandma sentenced to death for Christ's sake! You seem to have no feelings whatsoever.

[Gantz]

Hopefully she's telling the truth about her being forced to smuggle the drugs and the police will look into it

Nah shes been sentenced already the police aint looking for dick.

You disgust me.

This is a 56-year old grandma sentenced to death for Christ's sake! You seem to have no feelings whatsoever.

I'd be more concerned if it was a 20 something girl, but this lady's 56 and she should have known better

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[Silver_Knight]

Nah shes been sentenced already the police aint looking for dick.



I'd be more concerned if it was a 20 something girl, but this lady's 56 and she should have known better

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Yeah, there's something uneasy about seeing a old person die from anything other than old age. Young people die from all kinds of things. (I know old people do to.)

[claud3]

well for her, she made the wrong choice in life

And she will not be the last, Male or Female off any age above 11 years old

[Sylar]

just chuck her in jail, no need for sentencing her to death

[Completely Average]

You disgust me.

This is a 56-year old grandma sentenced to death for Christ's sake! You seem to have no feelings whatsoever.

How many people would she have killed with the drugs if she got away with it?

Sorry, I have no sympathy here. First, she knew she was smuggling drugs in a country that has the death penalty for it. Second, the drugs she was smuggling DO kill people.

And most important, I know a LOT more about this story than what is posted here.

She's quite involved in this stuff, and has been for a LONG time. Years it seems.

http://deathpenaltynews.blogspot.com...1_archive.html

[DeviousOne]

I wish i had all that cocaine. I would go to Miami and sell some to those Cubans.

How are you going to sell some to the cubans when they are that serve it push it the most for the Colombians?

Learn your damn DRUG game son. LMAO