Pubdate: Wed, 24 Aug 2005
Source: Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
Copyright: 2005 The Sydney Morning Herald
Contact:  http://www.smh.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/441
Author: Stephen Gibbs
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy)

BALI LINE ON DRUGS FINDS FAVOUR IN COURT

Sympathy for young Australians caught in the drug trade does not extend to
North Sydney Local Court, where a magistrate suggested yesterday he was
"rather attracted to the Indonesian approach".

A bank worker, Eric Tam, was before the court charged with supplying two
ecstasy tablets and possessing a third, after being arrested at the nearby
Greenwood Hotel this month.

The 27-year-old from Abbotsbury was one of eight defendants arrested during
a four-month operation by undercover police against drug suppliers at and
around the Greenwood. His solicitor, Jonathon Anton, said Tam had been in
the Miller Street pub on August 7 when "a very attractive young blonde girl
was sidling up to guys".

The blonde was a police "street level operative" who had given Tam her
mobile number and asked him: "Any chance of getting a couple of eccies?", M
r
Anton said.

According to a police statement tendered to the court, the policewoman gave
Tam $60, which he took to another man in the hotel. Tam returned and gave
her two pink ecstasy pills.

Later, when police identified themselves to Tam, he dropped an ecstasy
tablet on the floor. After his arrest Tam was issued a court attendance
notice, so he has never spent a night in custody. Tam has pleaded guilty to
possession and supply of ecstasy.

Mr Anton told the court his client had made no profit and regretted his
crime, but he reasoned things could be worse.

"Fortunately this is not a zero tolerance country", where that "poor girl"
was facing a lengthy jail sentence, Mr Anton said.

But the magistrate, Andrew George, was unimpressed. "I don't know. I'm
rather attracted to the Indonesian approach," he replied. "If people like
your client had to go up to Manly Hospital every second week, like I do, to
deal with people suffering from drug-induced psychosis =85 People like your
client don't realise that these drugs are made illegal for good reason:
because they are dangerous.

"People, whether in Indonesia or here, who involve themselves in the drug
trade are people, I think, who probably do belong off the streets. At the
end of the day, somehow the message has to get through."

Tam faces a maximum penalty of two years' jail, a $2200 fine or both for th
e
possession offence and two years' jail, an $11,000 fine or both for the
supply. The case was adjourned until October 4.
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