Courts imposes death penalty for Dutchman accused of running ecstasy factory

Jan 13, 2003

JAKARTA, Indonesia - An Indonesia court on Monday sentenced a Dutch citizen to death for operating what police say was one of the biggest ecstasy factories in Southeast Asia.

Presiding Judge M. Hatta Ali found Ang Kiem Soei, a Dutch citizen of Chinese descent, guilty of producing and selling illegal drugs.

Police arrested Ang last April and confiscated 8,000 ecstasy pills, thousands of dollars and his passport.

"The judges find the defendant guilty and sentence him to death as he has committed the crime in an organized way," Ali said.

"The defendant has damaged Indonesia's reputation in the eyes of the world," he added.

Dutch Embassy officials were not immediately available to comment on the verdict.

Ang was captured after police raided a building on the western outskirts of the capital of Jakarta. Officers found ecstasy-making equipment inside, which they estimated had been churning out some 15,000 pills a day for at least three years.

Dozens of anti-drug demonstrators cheered when Judge Ali delivered his verdict and jeered at Ang as he was escorted out by police to jail.

After the judge delivered the verdict, Ang told the court he would appeal.

Prosecutor Ruskan Edi had asked judges at the Tangerang Court District to sentence Ang to death.

Indonesia has severe penalties for drug use and smuggling. At least five foreigners have been sentenced to death for drug offenses in other parts of Indonesia, but none have actually been executed.

Ecstasy and amphetamine use has spread throughout Southeast Asia in recent years. In some countries both substances have replaced heroin as the most popular hard drug. Poor law enforcement, corruption and high demand make Indonesia an attractive location for drug producers.