Latest news with #BaliNine
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Britons accused of hiding cocaine in Angel Delight face death penalty in Bali
Three British people accused of smuggling cocaine hidden in Angel Delight sachets are facing the death penalty in Bali. Jonathan Christopher Collyer, 38, and Lisa Ellen Stocker, 39, were arrested on Feb 1 after being stopped at Bali's international airport with 17 packages of the drug that weighed nearly a kilogramme in total, prosecutors said. They appeared in court in Denpasar on Tuesday, alongside Phineas Ambrose Float, 31, who was allegedly due to receive the packages and arrested a few days later. Mr Collyer and Ms Stocker, who are reported to be a couple, were stopped by security at the X-ray machine after 'suspicious' items were detected in their suitcases. They were taken to a separate area, where staff found cocaine in blue plastic packages labelled 'Angel Delight' in Mr Collyer's luggage. More cocaine was found in seven plastic bags in Ms Stocker's suitcase. The drugs were brought from England to Indonesia with a transit in Doha International Airport in Qatar, prosecutor Made Dipa Umbara said. Mr Umbara told the court that cocaine seized from the trio was worth an estimated 6 billion rupiah (£271,000). The group had successfully smuggled cocaine into Bali on two previous occasions before being caught on their third attempt, said Ponco Indriyo, the deputy director of the Bali police narcotics unit. After the charges were read out, the panel of three judges adjourned the trial until June 10, when the court will hear witness testimony. The defendants and their lawyers declined to comment to reporters after the hearing. The three Britons could face the death penalty under Indonesia's strict drug laws, although it has upheld a moratorium on the death sentence since 2017. Convicted drug smugglers have in the past been executed by firing squad. The British embassy in Jakarta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. President Prabowo Subianto's administration has moved in recent months to repatriate several high-profile inmates, all sentenced for drug offences, back to their home countries. Serge Atlaoui, a Frenchman, returned to France in February after Jakarta and Paris agreed a deal to repatriate him on 'humanitarian grounds' because he was ill. In December, Indonesia took Mary Jane Veloso, who was found guilty of drug trafficking in 2010, off death row and returned her to the Philippines. It also sent the five remaining members of the 'Bali Nine' drug ring, who were serving heavy prison sentences, back to Australia. According to Indonesia's ministry of immigration and corrections, 96 foreigners were on death row, all on drug charges, before Veloso's release. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Bali drug trial of three Brits facing death penalty begins
DENPASAR: The trial of three British nationals accused of smuggling cocaine or taking part in a drug deal on Indonesia's popular island of Bali began Tuesday, with all facing the death penalty in a nation with some of the world's toughest narcotics laws. Indonesia hands out severe punishments for drug smuggling and has previously executed foreigners, but has upheld a moratorium on the death sentence since 2017. Jonathan Christopher Collyer, 38, and Lisa Ellen Stocker, 39, were arrested on February 1 after being stopped at Bali's international airport with 17 packages of cocaine that weighed nearly a kilogramme, according to public court records. They appeared in court alongside Phineas Ambrose Float, 31, who was allegedly due to receive the packages and arrested a few days later. The heaviest punishment for taking part in a drug transaction is also the death penalty under Indonesian law. An AFP journalist at the court said the hearing began Tuesday. A verdict was not expected until a later date. The British embassy in Jakarta did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's administration has moved in recent months to repatriate several high-profile inmates, all sentenced for drug offences, back to their home countries. Frenchman Serge Atlaoui returned to France in February after Jakarta and Paris agreed a deal to repatriate him on 'humanitarian grounds' because he was ill. In December, Indonesia took Mary Jane Veloso off death row and returned her to the Philippines. It also sent the five remaining members of the 'Bali Nine' drug ring, who were serving heavy prison sentences, back to Australia. According to Indonesia's Ministry of Immigration and Corrections, 96 foreigners were on death row, all on drug charges, before Veloso's release.
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Bali drug trial of three Brits facing death penalty begins
Jonathan Christopher Collyer and Phineas Ambrose Float face the death penalty. - Antara DENPASAR, Bali: The trial of three British nationals accused of smuggling cocaine or taking part in a drug deal on Indonesia's popular island of Bali began Tuesday (June 3), with all facing the death penalty in a nation with some of the world's toughest narcotics laws. Indonesia hands out severe punishments for drug smuggling and has previously executed foreigners, but has upheld a moratorium on the death sentence since 2017. Jonathan Christopher Collyer, 38, and Lisa Ellen Stocker, 39, were arrested on Feb 1 after being stopped at Bali's international airport with 17 packages of cocaine that weighed nearly a kilogramme, according to public court records. They appeared in court alongside Phineas Ambrose Float, 31, who was allegedly due to receive the packages and arrested a few days later. The heaviest punishment for taking part in a drug transaction is also the death penalty under Indonesian law. An AFP journalist at the court said the hearing began Tuesday. A verdict was not expected until a later date. The British embassy in Jakarta did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's administration has moved in recent months to repatriate several high-profile inmates, all sentenced for drug offences, back to their home countries. Frenchman Serge Atlaoui returned to France in February after Jakarta and Paris agreed a deal to repatriate him on "humanitarian grounds" because he was ill. In December, Indonesia took Mary Jane Veloso off death row and returned her to the Philippines. It also sent the five remaining members of the "Bali Nine" drug ring, who were serving heavy prison sentences, back to Australia. According to Indonesia's Ministry of Immigration and Corrections, 96 foreigners were on death row, all on drug charges, before Veloso's release. - AFP
The Age
26-05-2025
- The Age
Australian identified after alleged 1.7kg cocaine bust in Bali
After the handover was made, police followed the Australian back to his apartment and arrested him. A source close to the investigation told this masthead the Australian received minor injuries while allegedly attempting to resist arrest. One of Ahchee's neighbours told this masthead there was a commotion on Thursday in the alleyway near the apartments, which the resident assumed involved immigration officials, not narcotics officers. 'Cocaine, in a Muslim country? This is a Muslim country,' the neighbour said when informed of the charges. A police statement said the seizure had 'successfully saved 2666 lives'. A conviction for an offence involving more than five grams of a category one drug such as cocaine is enough to open up the possibility of a death sentence under Indonesian law, but lesser sentences are also available. The Australian Federal Police was contacted for comment. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was providing consular assistance to an Australian detained in Bali. 'Owing to our privacy obligations, we are unable to provide further comment,' a DFAT spokesman said. According to his LinkedIn profile, Ahchee worked in public relations in Australia in the early 2000s and managed VIPs at a Sydney nightclub. After moving to Bali, he became a marketing director of a day club and co-founded a digital advertising company before turning his attention to Brick Lane, a new restaurant development in Canggu, a coastal village near Seminyak. 'This is a cutting-edge venue design and I can't wait until we get to the excitement with our menu and cocktails,' Ahchee posted on Facebook last March. By October, according to another post, he had stepped away from his position as general manager. 'It's been a ride that I will always be proud of,' he said. Corporate records show that in Australia, he has been a director and a shareholder of two companies, including L A Talent Management Pty Ltd, which he quit in 2016. If Ahchee were convicted, it would create a diplomatic headache for the Australian government, which opposes the death penalty, reminiscent of the Bali Nine case. Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, the so-called ringleaders of the Bali Nine, were executed by firing squad in 2015, 10 years after the group was arrested on suspicion of trying to smuggle more than eight kilograms of heroin out of Indonesia. The five members who remained in Indonesian prisons – Matthew Norman, Michael Czugaj, Scott Rush, Martin Stephens and Si-Yi Chen – were returned to Australia in December as new President Prabowo Subianto sought to begin his relationship with Australia on a positive footing.
The Age
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Australian allegedly busted in Bali with 1.5 kilograms of cocaine
An Australian has allegedly been caught in Bali with enough drugs to qualify for the death penalty or decades in prison. Local media has reported the person, whose identity remains unknown, was arrested in an apartment in the Canggu area of the popular holiday island on Thursday last week. Bali police alleged the package, which arrived from Thailand, contained 1.5 kilograms of cocaine. The amount would be enough to open up the possibility of a death sentence if the person were found guilty, but other sentences are also available. Bali police are expected to speak to the media on Monday afternoon (AEST). If the person were convicted, it would create a diplomatic headache for the Australian government – which opposes the death penalty – reminiscent of the Bali Nine case. Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, the so-called ringleaders of the Bali Nine, were executed by firing squad in 2015, 10 years after the group was arrested on suspicion of trying to smuggle more than 8 kilograms of heroin out of Indonesia. The five members who remained in Indonesian prisons were returned to Australia in December as new President Prabowo Subianto sought to begin his relationship with Australia on a positive footing.
