DENPASAR

A South African woman on trial at Denpasar District Court for alleged drug smuggling faces up to 17 years in prison.

Kedibone Motsweneng, a 38-year-old professional librarian, was arrested on 23 October last year after arriving at Ngurah Rai International Airport on a flight from Singapore.

An x-ray scan of her luggage revealed hidden compartments inside the lining. These were found to contain 2.4 kilos of crystal-methamphetamine.

After her arrest Motsweneng told police that she had been instructed to deliver the drugs to a man named Elis Supradiningrum.

Supradiningrum was subsequently arrested and will face trial separately.

During Monday’s court hearing headed by Judge Anak Agung Anom Wirakanta, the public prosecutor, Rindayani, called for a sentence of 17 years to be handed down to Motsweneng, along with a Rp1 billion fine.

Rindayani said that she was guilty of trafficking narcotics under Article 113 of the narcotics law.

Motsweneng’s lawyer, I Ketut Bakuh, will present the defence case next week.