EXCLUSIVE Aussie arrested during a routine traffic stop faces shock drugs charges after a wild night of partying
A third Australian man has been arrested in Bali for an alleged drug offence in as many weeks after he was seized during a traffic stop following a night of partying.
Philip James Nelson, 33, was arrested after allegedly being caught driving a scooter without a helmet on in North Kuta, Bali on Wednesday afternoon.
Bali police allege he was caught with 0.85g of cocaine and 0.53g of MDMA, which they claim fell from his pocket during the incident.
Nelson, who had been living in a villa in the seaside village of Perenan, is alleged to have told authorities he found the drugs in a night club the evening prior to his arrest.
Police immediately detained Nelson and took him to Badung Police Station where officials will have up to six days to name his as a suspect for a drug offence.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade about Nelson's arrest.
He is the third Australian man to be arrested in as many weeks on suspicion of drug-related offending.
On May 29, Queensland man Puridas Robinson, 40, was detained after police allegedly found a stash of marijuana at his West Denpasar villa.
Like MDMA and cocaine, marijuana is a Class 1 drug in Indonesia.
His arrest comes after the arrest of Harsh Vardhan Nowlakha at Bali Airport in May when Nowlakha arrived from Los Angeles allegedly carrying 600g of marijuana.
Nowlakha allegedly told investigators that he brought the drugs for Robinson and police followed him to Robinson's address where they searched the property.
Robinson denied that he ordered the drugs.
The head of the drugs eradication unit at Bali Branch National Narcotic Agency, Senior Commander Made Sinar Subawa, told Daily Mail Australia Robinson would not be charged with trafficking.
Instead, he may be charged with drug possession which carries a maximum 12 year prison term.
It followed the arrest of fellow Aussie Lamar Ahchee, 43, on May 22 after allegedly smuggling 1.8kg of cocaine from the UK while living in Bali.
Ahchee has not yet been charged by officials but could face a potential death sentence if convicted of smuggling the cocaine worth an estimated $1.1million.
Following his arrest, Ahchee's family descended on the island where his sister Stephanie issued a message of thanks to Balinese officials.
'Our family wishes to extend our sincere appreciation to the Indonesian authorities for their professionalism and impartiality in handling Lamar's case,' she said.
'We are grateful for the fair and respectful treatment he has received from law enforcement and legal officials throughout this process.'
Ahchee's lawyer Edward Pangkahila told reporters his client firmly denied dealing drugs, but conceded he was a 'drug addict'.
'Lamar has been set up by someone called "Boss",' Mr Pangkahila said, referencing a stranger in England who allegedly sent the Lindt boxes.
'He was told to collect the package, but he actually didn't know what the package was. He thought it was a normal package.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
The killers got the wrong man - innocent plumber John Versace. Now homicide cop reveals the twisted truth of what's going on inside murderers' heads as they remain on the run
They thought they had pleased their masters by ruthlessly gunning down a young man outside his western Sydney home... but the killer, or killers, actually got it very, very wrong. Innocent plumber John Versace, 23, was shot dead as he got out of his ute at his family's home in Dalton Avenue in Condell Park, in Sydney 's south-west, about 10.30pm on May 19. The shooter unloaded about 10 rounds of bullets, with Mr Versace suffering four gunshot wounds to his chest and stomach. He died at the scene. All evidence shows Mr Versace had done never done anything to spark such a ruthless act of retribution from the underworld. And those responsible - no doubt now aware they have made a big mistake - are still on the run almost a month later. Now a retired homicide detective with decades of experience investigating cases such as Mr Versace's sheds light on the possible motivations of the hitmen responsible and the fallout the killing would have caused in the underworld. Former Victoria Police officer Charlie Bezzina believes the 'hit' on Mr Versace was likely carried out by people on the 'lower end of the criminal sphere'. He said instead of feeling guilt over gunning down an innocent man, they would instead be playing the 'blame game' and claim that they were given flawed information. 'You're not dealing with professional people. You're dealing with low educated people and they accept what they've been told,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'These shooters would be highly strung and their angst will be so high that they shoot and ask questions later. 'They want to do the deeds for their masters and then, bang, bang. Let's go. That was him.... and then they find out later it wasn't him.' He said the shooters were unlikely to face any major repercussions for killing the wrong person, with the shooting only putting the actual target on higher alert - giving them time to flee the country and go into hiding. Mr Bezzina said those responsible for Mr Versace's death were unlikely to have done their due diligence to confirm the identity of their intended target. 'An undercover operative or a private investigator would have parameters of the law where they've got to prove the identity [of the target] but these guys don't, they're just flying by the seat of their pants,' he said. 'Have they got a photograph of them? Have they got a car number? Have they got a car? Have they got a specific address he's been put to? 'They're relying on other people to give them the right information. 'They'll say, "you gave us that information, and that's what we acted upon. So it's your fault. It's not our fault". 'So someone comes out of a particular location nearby that might look a little bit similar to the target... they thought that might be the guy coming out and that'll do.' Mr Bezzina said cases of mistaken identity were some 'of the most difficult' to solve as police rely on people to come forward with information. However, this can prove difficult when organised crime figures are subject to a code of silence and witnesses are too fearful for their own safety to talk. 'You've got to go in with your best case before you arrest people of this type. You don't want to go in half-heartedly, charge someone and then lose at trial,' he said. 'That's the thoroughness of these type of investigations, they would be doing everything within their legal power, to get the evidence, to identify these people. 'The frequencies of these incompetent criminals is a cause of concern for the police, and that's why if they've got the evidence, I can assure you, they'd be very keen to lay charges sooner than later.' Police told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday the investigation was ongoing but no further details could be provided at this time. Harrowing footage from a neighbour's CCTV camera captured Mr Versace's final moments on his parents' doorstep where he lived with his sisters. Security footage showed Mr Versace reversing his ute up the driveway and parking it very close to the garage door. As he exited the ute, a small silver hatchback, believed to be a Toyota Corolla, parked across the driveway of the home. The male gunman, dressed in black and wearing a face covering, got out of the backseat and approached the front of the house. 'Hey, hey, hey, hey, stop, stop,' a man is heard yelling before the gunman raised his right hand and opened fire with a Glock-style weapon. Police later received reports of a car, which police believe was stolen in December, about 12km away in Fairfield Heights. A handgun similar to a Glock-style pistol was found inside the vehicle after firefighters extinguished the flames. 'We believe that this has the hallmarks of a targeted execution. (It is) very brutal, very distressing,' Superintendent Rodney Hart told reporters at the time. Mr Versace's sister Deanne recently paid a heartbreaking tribute to her 'beautiful baby brother' - sharing powerful images and video of highlights of his life on social media.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Teens on the run after a series of shocking attacks
Police are hunting for a pair of teenagers who were allegedly involved in two serious attacks overnight. Victorian Police are currently investigating a series of assaults by the two boys in Melbourne 's south-eastern suburbs which began at 5pm on Friday evening. A 70-year-old man was first allegedly assaulted by the pair in a chemist at a Keysborough shopping centre in Dandenong North. The elderly man had attempted to stop the boys from leaving the store with items which he suspected they were trying to steal. Following the assault the man was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Just hours later a 16-year-old boy was allegedly attacked by the teenagers while waiting for a bus in Dingley Village at 7pm. The victim was approached and stabbed in what police called an unprovoked attack. As he attempted to flee, the two teens continued their assault, police said. The 16-year-old was also taken to hospital with serious injuries. Police are now on the lookout for the two teens responsible for the attacks. They fled the scene after assaulting their second victim and detectives have dispatched dog squads to aid local police in their hunt. The boys have yet to be located and an investigation into the assaults has been launched by the local Dandenong and Moorabbin Crime Investigation Unit.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Victim of a late night fatal house fire was an eldery woman
An elderly woman has died in a house fire after being found inside a two-storey townhouse in Sydney 's inner west, around 11.45pm on Friday night. The 82-year-old was discovered dead inside the Westbourne Street home in Petersham by fire and rescue crews. Four fire trucks were dispatched to the address where they found one man, 57, and the woman inside. Paramedics treated the man for smoke inhalation at the scene before he was transported to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in a stable condition. The woman however was unable to be revived and has yet to be formally identified. A spokesperson for Fire and Rescue NSW said she was found inside the room where the fire had originated. Neighbouring buildings were evacuated while rescue crews worked to extinguish the blaze before the area was handed over to police for a formal investigation. Police have established a crime scene and are investigating the fire. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
