Police in Indonesia arrest Australian man for allegedly smuggling cocaine into Bali

Published on 29/05/2025 - 14:29 GMT+2

Authorities successful Indonesia person arrested an Australian man for allegedly smuggling cocaine connected nan tourer land of Bali, a complaint that could transportation nan decease penalty, officials person said.

Lamar Aaron Ahchee, 43, from Cairns successful northbound Queensland, was arrested past Thursday aft constabulary raided his rented location adjacent Kuta beach, a celebrated tourer spot, and seized 1.7 kilograms of cocaine successful 206 integrative bags, on pinch a integer standard and a mobile phone, Bali Police Chief Daniel Adityajaya said.

The apprehension followed an investigation conducted by Bali Police anti-drug surveillance teams who reported nan man had received 2 suspicious packages sent by message from England, Adityajaya said.

"He is suspected of importing aliases distributing people 1 narcotics," Adityajaya said astatine a news convention successful nan provincial capital, Denpasar.

"He is threatened pinch nan decease punishment aliases life imprisonment."

Adityajaya said a preliminary investigation showed that nan Australian had ordered a motorcycle taxi driver done nan Grab online work connected 21 May to prime up 2 packages astatine a station agency successful Denpasar.

The driver was told to manus nan 2 packages to a motorcycle taxi driver from different online service, who was ordered to present them to Ahchee's rented house, Adityajaya said.

Adityajaya said nan fishy told authorities during a constabulary interrogation that he was asked by personification he referred to arsenic "Boss," to return nan package and administer it successful Bali.

Dealer aliases user?

He was promised 50 cardinal rupiah (€2,660) for handling nan cocaine.

On Monday, constabulary presented nan accused astatine nan news convention wherever he was wearing an orangish detainee jumpsuit and a mask, pinch his hands handcuffed.

The man did not make a statement.

One of his lawyers, Edward Pangkahila, said his squad would travel his customer during nan constabulary questioning "to spot nan advancement of nan investigation."

"He is not nan proprietor of nan cocaine, he is conscionable a user," Pangkahila said, "The constabulary must beryllium capable to pursuit and apprehension nan personification who is acting arsenic his boss, to uncover this lawsuit fairly."

The Southeast Asian state has highly strict supplier laws and convicted smugglers are sometimes executed by firing squad.

The United Nations Office connected Drugs and Crime says Indonesia is simply a awesome drug-smuggling hub contempt having immoderate of nan strictest supplier laws successful nan world, successful portion because world supplier syndicates target its young population.

On Tuesday, Denpasar District Court handed a 10-month situation condemnation to Thomas Parker, a British nationalist who was arrested successful January aft he collected a package containing narcotics from a motorcycle taxi driver.

Indonesian authorities arrested an Argentinian female and a British man successful March for allegedly smuggling 324 grams of cocaine connected Bali.

About 530 people, including 96 foreigners, are connected decease statement successful Indonesia, mostly for drug-related crimes, nan Ministry of Immigration and Corrections' information showed.