Albert Heijn heir avoids death penalty in Indonesia on drug charges

By Zack Newmark on May 2, 2016 - 16:31
Djai Heijn arrest Bali
Djai Heijn, held at gunpoint by Indonesian customs officers, at a press conference detailing drugs charges against him. Jan 23, 2016 . (Djai Heijn, held at gunpoint by Indonesian customs officers, at a press conference detailing drugs charges against him. Jan 23, 2016 )

Indonesian authorities will not seek the death penalty against the heir to the family behind Albert Heijn grocery stores. Djaï Heijn is suspected of dealing, importing, producing and using marijuana a court in the island country heard on Monday, according to RTL Nieuws.

Heijn says he is innocent of all charges. He was caught on Bali after about 225 grams of marijuana was sent to him from a friend in Spain. Heijn said the shipment was meant as a Christmas present that he neither requested nor wanted. He also never took receipt of the package.

If convicted, Heijn could face 15 years in prison. The death penalty was not on the table because the amount of marijuana weighed less than a kilogram, and because the only drugs in his possession were not plant-based, the broadcaster stated. He was allegedly in possession of 492 grams of crystal meth, and 42 grams of dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, at the time of the arrest, according to the AD newspaper.

First witnesses in the case will be heard on May 9.

Heijn is the grandson of Gerrit Jan Heijn, and the great, great grandson of Albert Heijn, founder of the supermarket chain. While running parent company Ahold with his brother, Gerrit Jan was killed shortly after he was kidnapped in 1987 as part of a ransom scheme.

The suspect moved to Indonesia in 2013, mainly for spiritual training, the newspaper stated. He maintains the support of his family members, who believe he had no involvement with drugs.

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