Australian Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Indonesian Prison for Cocaine Smuggling in Bali
Denpasar, Indonesia – An Indonesian court has handed down a 12-year prison sentence to an Australian citizen convicted of smuggling cocaine to Bali, one of Indonesia’s most popular tourist destinations.
The convicted individual, 43-year-old Lamar Aaron Ahchee from Cairns, north Queensland, was arrested in May following a police raid on his rented home near Kuta Beach, a well-known tourist area on the island. During the raid, authorities seized 1.7 kilograms (3.7 pounds) of cocaine, packaged in 206 small clip-seal plastic bags. They also confiscated a digital scale and a mobile phone, both believed to be linked to drug distribution activities.
The investigation was carried out by Bali’s anti-drug police surveillance team after reports that Ahchee had received two suspicious packages sent by mail from England. Indonesian police suspected him of importing and distributing narcotics within the island’s borders.
Presiding over the case was Judge Tjokorda Putra Budi Pastima, who led a three-judge panel in delivering the verdict on Thursday. Judge Pastima sentenced Ahchee to 12 years imprisonment and imposed a fine of 2 billion rupiah (approximately $119,583 USD). This penalty exceeded the nine-year sentence sought by the prosecutors.
Throughout the hearing, Ahchee denied knowledge that the packages contained cocaine. Nevertheless, the court cited aggravating factors in imposing a harsher sentence, noting the large quantity of cocaine involved — amounting to a potential threat to public health and tourism safety on Bali. The judge also commented on the defendant’s evasiveness and attempts to obscure the facts as reasons for the increased sentence severity.
Indonesia is well-known for its stringent drug laws and is considered a significant hub in international drug smuggling networks. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the country’s youthful population is often targeted by these syndicates. Indonesia maintains some of the harshest penalties globally for drug offenses, with about 530 people currently on death row, including 96 foreigners, primarily for drug-related crimes.
Indonesia’s most recent executions took place in July 2016, involving one Indonesian national and three foreigners convicted of drug offenses. Despite a global push for more lenient drug laws, Indonesia continues to enforce strict measures to combat narcotics trafficking within its borders.
This case underscores Indonesia’s ongoing efforts to fight drug smuggling and protect its tourism industry from the adverse effects of narcotics that could potentially harm both residents and visitors on the island of Bali.
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