Latest news with #EleonoraGracia
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Brit 'caught accepting half a pound of cocaine from a drug smuggler in police sting' faces 12 years in jail in Bali
An Argentine woman and a British man went on trial Thursday on charges of smuggling cocaine to the Indonesian tourist island of Bali. If convicted, they could face up to 12 years in prison. Prosecutors say Eleonora Gracia, 46, was arrested in March at Bali's airport with 244 grams (half a pound) of cocaine wrapped in a condom hidden in her vagina. Authorities alleged that she handed over the cocaine to Elliot James Shaw, 50, during a police sting operation at a hotel near a Bali beach. Prosecutors at the District Court in Denpasar, Bali's provincial capital, said they violated anti-narcotics laws that carry a penalty of up to 12 years in prison. After the charges against Gracia and Shaw were read out in the Bali court, a panel of three judges adjourned the trial until July 3. The court is expected to deliver its verdict next month. Gracia and Shaw wore face masks as they sat next to each other in court. Neither they nor their lawyers spoke in court or to reporters covering the trial. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says Indonesia is a major drug-smuggling hub despite having some of the strictest drug laws in the world, in part because international drug syndicates target its young population. Indonesian authorities on Monday arrested 285 people suspected of drug trafficking, including 29 women and seven foreigners, and seized over half a ton of narcotics during a two-month crackdown. About 530 people are on death row in Indonesia, mostly for drug-related crimes, including 96 foreigners, the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections' data showed last month. Indonesia's last executions, of a citizen and three foreigners, were carried out in July 2016. It comes after it emerged three Britons held in Bali over an alleged cocaine smuggling plot will not face the death penalty, a major reprieve in a country with some of the world's toughest drug laws. Indonesian prosecutors said they were seeking 12 months in prison for the three British nationals, all from Hastings and St Leonards-on-Sea in East Sussex, accused of drug offences on the resort island. 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 kilogram, according to public court records. They appeared in court alongside Phineas Ambrose Float, 31, who was allegedly due to receive the packages and was arrested a few days later in February. '(Demanding the court) to sentence the defendants to one year in prison and to keep them in detention,' prosecutor Made Dipa Umbara told the district court in Bali's capital Denpasar. Umbara said that while the defendants were accused of breaking the law, they behaved well in court, acknowledged their wrongdoings, and pledged not to repeat their mistakes. The sentence call came as a surprise as convicted drug traffickers, especially those caught with large quantities, have in the past been executed by firing squad in Indonesia - including foreign nationals. If the quantity is large but not enough for the death penalty, life in prison is a common sentence. The country has upheld a moratorium on the death sentence since 2017. The British Foreign Office said it was in touch with local authorities about the case. 'We are providing consular support to three British Nationals detained in Indonesia,' a spokesperson said.
The Sun
5 hours ago
- The Sun
Brit ‘drug smuggler' told he could face FIRING SQUAD for trying to sneak iPhone-sized block of cocaine into hols hotspot
A BRIT has been told he could face the firing squad in Bali if found guilty of smuggling in 244 grams of cocaine - the same weight as an iPhone. Elliot Shaw, 50, of Watford, was allegedly caught with the equivalent of eight tablespoons of powder at a hotel near a tourist beach in Indonesia. 5 5 5 On the first day of his trial, Indonesian prosecutor Ida Ayu Sulamsi told the court that the maximum penalty for smuggling more than five grams of the Class A narcotic is the death penalty. Shaw is accused of smuggling the drugs alongside his Argentine lover, Eleonora Gracia. Prosecutors say Gracia, 46, was arrested in March at Bali's international airport with the cocaine wrapped in a condom hidden in her vagina. Authorities allege that she then handed over the drugs to Shaw, 50, who was part of the smuggling plot. On Thursday, prosecutors at the District Court in Denpasar said the pair violated strict anti-narcotics laws. After the charges against the pair were read out, a panel of three judges adjourned the trial until July 3. Gracia and Shaw wore face masks as they sat next to each other in court and remained silent during proceedings. Shaw, who lives in Perugia, Italy, and works in the entertainment industry, has the word "justice" tattooed on his neck. Ms Sulamsi told the court: "The defendant has attempted or conspired to illegally import type A narcotics in the form of cocaine weighing 244.07 grams." According to the prosecutor, Shaw and Buenos Aires-native Gracia planned to meet on March 25, at The Paica Inn – a budget guest house – in North Kuta. Drugs kingpins guilty of plotting murder and running drugs empire on EncroChat Gracia arrived in Bali on an Emirates flight from Mexico earlier that day. Ms Sulamsi continued: "Shaw admitted that he had waited for Gracia to receive the cocaine package. "The officers then searched Shaw's room and found two packages containing 244.07 grams of cocaine in the closet. "Also 3.09 grams and 0.67 grams of cocaine in Shaw's backpack." He is the fourth Brit to come before the court on cocaine trafficking charges in recent weeks. Earlier this month three Brits accused of trafficking £300,000 worth of cocaine into Bali were told they would dodge the death sentence with the prosecutor requesting a slap on the wrist sentence of one-year. Lovers Jonathan Collyer, 39 and Lisa Stocker, 38, of Hastings, East Sussex, pleaded guilty to bringing the drugs haul onto the holiday island disguised in 17 packets of Angel Delight on February 1. Co-accused Phineas Float, 31, also of East Sussex, allegedly was the Bali contact who picked up the drugs. 5 5 During the third day of their trial, police prosecutor Made Umbara requested that the judge sentence each of the three to a one-year custodial sentence, reduced for time already served for smuggling just under a kilo of cocaine into the party island. The trio are being held in Bali's notorious Kerobokan prison – known as "Hotel K". Foreign nationals have been executed in the past for carrying large quantities of narcotics. Yorkshire granny, Lindsay Sandiford, 69, has been on death row since 2013 after being found guilty of smuggling £1.6 million worth of cocaine into Bali. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says Indonesia is a major drug-smuggling hub despite having some of the strictest drug laws in the world. On Monday Indonesian authorities arrested 285 people suspected of drug trafficking, including 29 women and seven foreigners, and seized over half a ton of narcotics during a two-month crackdown. About 530 people are on death row in Indonesia, mostly for drug-related crimes, including 96 foreigners, the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections' data showed last month. But Indonesia's last executions were carried out in July 2016. Spate of Brit drug arrests worldwide A SLEW of drug mule cases invovling Brits have emerged in the last few weeks In April-May, Two other Brit women were arrested abroad for alleged drug smuggling. Glam tourist Bella Culley allegedly tried to smuggle a suitcase of weed into Georgia and was locked away in a brutal ex-Soviet prison despite claiming to be pregnant. The 18-year-old was sent to the brutal Women's Penitentiary No. 5 in the town of Rustavi - a slammer notorious for its hellish conditions just outside Tbilisi. She had originally jetted to the Philippines to meet an old friend, but reportedly changed her plans last minute to go to Thailand with a gang of British lads unknown to her. A sentence ranging from 20 years to life could be a possibility for teen Bella from County Durham, according to prosecutors. Meanwhile, former air stewardess Charlotte May Lee was then caught allegedly trying to smuggle drugs worth £1.2million into Sri Lanka. Her two suitcases were said to have been stuffed with 46kg of a synthetic cannabis strain known as kush — which is 25 times more potent than opioid fentanyl. If found guilty, South Londoner Charlotte could face a 25-year sentence. Meanwhile, a young mum is being detained in Germany for allegedly smuggling cannabis in her bags on a flight from Thailand - in yet another shocking case. Glamorous Cameron Bradford, 21, from Knebworth, Herts, was detained at Munich Airport on April 21 as she tried to collect her luggage. It comes as a Brit couple claiming to be tourists from Thailand have been busted with more than 33kg of cannabis in their suitcases at a Spanish airport. The pair were picked out by suspicious cops at Valencia Airport after displaying a 'nervous and evasive attitude' and are now behind bars on drug trafficking charges. Experts told The Sun how wannabe Brit Insta stars are being lured by cruel gangs into carting drugs across the world.
CTV News
7 hours ago
- CTV News
Argentine woman and British man go on trial in Bali accused of smuggling cocaine
British national, Elliot James Shaw, left, and Argentine national Eleonora Gracia, right, who are accused of smuggling cocaine into Indonesia, sit on the defendant's bench prior to the start of their trial hearing at the district court in Denpasar, Bali, on Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo) DENPASAR, Indonesia — An Argentine woman and a British man went on trial Thursday on charges of smuggling cocaine to the Indonesian tourist island of Bali. If convicted, they could face up to 12 years in prison. Prosecutors say Eleonora Gracia, 46, was arrested in March at Bali's airport with 244 grams (half a pound) of cocaine wrapped in a condom hidden in her vagina. Authorities alleged that she handed over the cocaine to Elliot James Shaw, 50, at a hotel near a Bali beach. Prosecutors at the District Court in Denpasar, Bali's provincial capital, said they violated anti-narcotics laws that carry a penalty of up to 12 years in prison. After the charges against Gracia and Shaw were read out in the Bali court, a panel of three judges adjourned the trial until July 3. The court is expected to deliver its verdict next month. Gracia and Shaw wore face masks as they sat next to each other in court. Neither they nor their lawyers spoke in court or to reporters covering the trial. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says Indonesia is a major drug-smuggling hub despite having some of the strictest drug laws in the world, in part because international drug syndicates target its young population. Indonesian authorities on Monday arrested 285 people suspected of drug trafficking, including 29 women and seven foreigners, and seized over half a ton of narcotics during a two-month crackdown. About 530 people are on death row in Indonesia, mostly for drug-related crimes, including 96 foreigners, the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections' data showed last month. Indonesia's last executions, of a citizen and three foreigners, were carried out in July 2016. ___ Firdia Lisnawati, The Associated Press Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.
Washington Post
8 hours ago
- Washington Post
Argentine woman and British man go on trial in Bali accused of smuggling cocaine
DENPASAR, Indonesia — An Argentine woman and a British man went on trial Thursday on charges of smuggling cocaine to the Indonesian tourist island of Bali. If convicted, they could face up to 12 years in prison. Prosecutors say Eleonora Gracia, 46, was arrested in March at Bali's airport with 244 grams (half a pound) of cocaine wrapped in a condom hidden in her vagina. Authorities alleged that she handed over the cocaine to Elliot James Shaw, 50, at a hotel near a Bali beach.
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
British man on trial accused of smuggling cocaine in Bali
A court on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali has started the trial of an Argentine woman and a British man accused of smuggling cocaine. Prosecutors say Eleonora Gracia, 46, was arrested in March at Bali's airport with 244 grams (half a pound) of cocaine wrapped in a condom hidden in her vagina. Authorities alleged that she handed over the cocaine to Elliot James Shaw, 50, at a hotel near a Bali beach. On Thursday, prosecutors at the District Court in Denpasar said the pair violated anti-narcotics laws. If convicted, they could face up to 12 years in prison. After the charges against Gracia and Shaw were read out in the Bali court, a panel of three judges adjourned the trial until July 3. The court is expected to deliver its verdict next month. Gracia and Shaw wore face masks as they sat next to each other in court. Neither they nor their lawyers spoke in court or to reporters covering the trial. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says Indonesia is a major drug-smuggling hub despite having some of the strictest drug laws in the world, in part because international drug syndicates target its young population. Indonesian authorities on Monday arrested 285 people suspected of drug trafficking, including 29 women and seven foreigners, and seized over half a ton of narcotics during a two-month crackdown. About 530 people are on death row in Indonesia, mostly for drug-related crimes, including 96 foreigners, the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections' data showed last month. Indonesia's last executions, of a citizen and three foreigners, were carried out in July 2016.
