Latest news with #JohnMcLeod
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
Family of Aussie accused of drug trafficking in Bali break their silence
The sister of an Australian man facing the death penalty in Bali, accused of smuggling drugs to the island, has issued a message to Indonesian authorities. Lamar Ahchee, 43, the son of former Queensland cop Les Ahchee, was arrested last week, accused of smuggling 1.8kg of cocaine from the UK while living in Bali. On Friday, his sister Stephanie Ahchee fronted the media in Denpasar for the first time since flying to Bali from Cairns with her mother. '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.' Ms Ahchee gave her address while standing beside high-profile 'fixer' and former police officer John McLeod, who worked to help free Schapelle Corby from jail. Dubbed the 'prison whisperer', Mr McLeod runs consultancy firm Tora Solutions which helps detained Australians facing legal troubles overseas. Visuals from Friday depicted Mr McLeod stoically guiding Ms Ahchee to gathered reporters in the garden beyond a popular Denpasar restaurant. 'This is Lamar's sister, she's going to give a brief statement on behalf of the family' he said before Ms Ahchee began reading from a prepared speech. 'We acknowledge the seriousness of this case and the situation and remain committed to full cooperation with the legal system to ensure a just outcome,' she said. 'Our priority is Lamar's wellbeing and we trust that due process will be upheld. 'At this time we respectfully request privacy as we navigate this matter. 'We also extend our gratitude to those who have shown support and expressed their support during this difficult period.' It comes after Mr McLeod's mother and sister were seen shielding their faces outside police headquarters alongside him on Monday. The 43-year-old, who has not yet been charged, faces a potential death sentence after Bali Police Chief Inspector General Daniel Adityajaya alleged the drugs arrived in Indonesia on May 12. Ahchee was arrested by the Bali drug squad on May 22 after customs officers allegedly scanned two suspicious packaged upon arrival to Indonesia. About 1.8kg of cocaine was allegedly hidden inside two Lindt chocolate boxes, each containing 54 individual packets with 8.3g of cocaine each. Police allege he offered almost 50million Indonesian rupiah, about AU$4,700, to receive and distribute the drugs worth an estimated $1.1million. The Cairns-born businessman was paraded before the media last week wearing an orange jumpsuit and a black face covering during a press conference. He allegedly tested positive for drugs upon arrest and has subsequently admitted to struggling with addiction, though he firmly denies dealing drugs. Mr 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.' The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed it was offering consular assistance to an Australian in Bali.
Daily Mail
02-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Aussie drug smuggling accused swaps life of luxury for a Bali jail cell - as his family descend on the island and with a high-powered 'fixer' known as the 'prison whisperer'
The family of an Australian man facing the death penalty in Bali accused of smuggling cocaine onto the holiday island has enlisted the help of a high-powered 'fixer'. Business manager Lamar Ahchee, 43, originally from Cairns, was arrested last week accused of received two drug deliveries from the UK while living in Bali. The cocaine was allegedly concealed inside two gold Lindt chocolate boxes, each containing 54 individual packets of the drug, with 8.3 grams wrapped inside each. On Monday morning, Ahchee's mother and sister arrived in Bali moments after he was escorted in handcuffs to the Australian embassy. Prior to their arrival, a high-profile 'fixer' who worked to help free Schapelle Corby from jail was spotted arriving at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on Monday. 'Prison whisperer' and former police officer John McLeod runs consultancy firm Tora Solutions, which helps Australians in legal troubles overseas. He previously helped get Corby out of Bali's notorious Kerobokan jail, where Ahchee could spend a lot of time if convicted. Outside the Australian embassy, Mr McLeod described the situation as very confronting and distressing for Ahchee's family and didn't provide further comment. Ahchee faces a death sentence after Bali Police Chief Inspector General Daniel Adityajaya alleged the drugs arrived in Indonesia on May 12. When the packages arrived at the Renon Main Post Office, customs officers at Ngurah Rai Airport scanned them using X-ray equipment and suspected they contained narcotics. Customs officers then worked with the Bali Regional Police Narcotics Directorate to conduct a controlled delivery as part of their ongoing investigation. Investigators allege the first package came from the Essex village of Runwell, east of London, and was addressed to 'Alex and Julie' in Kuta Utara, near Canggu. The second was allegedly sent from Braintree, 35km north of Runwell, to 'Dave Jones' in the same Balinese region. The following day, police allege Ahchee asked a driver to collect the packages from the post office. They met at a restaurant on May 22, and the Australian businessman allegedly took the packages back to Canggu. Ahchee was then arrested by the Bali drug squad and allegedly suffered several injuries while resisting arrest. Police allegedly seized 1.8kg of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $1.1million The quantity is enough is enough to warrant the death penalty under Indonesian law The quantity is enough is enough to warrant the death penalty under Indonesian law. Police allege he received 50m Indonesian rupiah, about A$4700, to receive and distribute the drugs. The quantity of cocaine Ahchee is accused of trying to smuggle into Indonesia, Ahchee grew up playing soccer in Cairns but moved to Sydney's well-heeled east, living in a $1.5million unit in Bellevue Hill and working as VIP manager at Marquee and later Casablanca nightclubs. He had moved to Bali by 2019, where his online professional profiles reveal he worked as the director and co-founder of technology groups. Previously, he had worked for marketing companies with strong ties to the nightlife scene in both Sydney and Bali. In 2015, he was the director of marketing and events at Sydney Seadeck, a $5 million party boat popular among glamorous Sydney socialites and organised crime figures. According to his LinkedIn profile, he also co-founded Behind the Rope. It was an invitation-only 'private lifestyle platform for high achievers, affluent in-demand individuals, influencers and high profile personalities in business, politics, culture, entertainment and sport'. The firm added: 'BTR takes immense pride in extending our service to only a select few, which ensures that we come to know members not just by name, but also by their distinct personality, preferences, likes and tastes.' There is no record of Behind the Rope in ASIC. He would later work for Omnia beachclub a popular club in Uluwatu for two years before finding hospitality work in Canggu at Brick Lane. He stepped down as the general manager of Canggu restaurant Brick Lane Bali last November after eight months in the role. 'As I step away from general manager at Brick Lane to embark on new adventures, I want to take a moment to reflect on this incredible journey,' he wrote on Facebook at the time. 'From a slab of concrete to conceptualising a new vision, redesigning, and eventually transforming this space into a true spaceship, it's been a ride that I will always be proud of. 'It has been an honour to be part of something so transformative, and I am truly proud of all that we've accomplished together. 'Thank you to the incredible team I had the privilege of building at Brick Lane - your dedication and hard work made all the difference.' Resurfaced social media photographs show Ahchee smiling alongside buxom Bachelor contestant turned Bali influencer Kiki Morris. Morris rose to fame on the Richie Strahan season of The Bachelor in 2016, and returned to the franchise on Bachelor in Paradise in 2020. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed it is offering consular assistance to an Australian in Bali. One of Ahchee's lawyers told reporters last week his client was 'very upset and stressed' at the prospect he could face the death penalty if he is found guilty. He called on police to track down the person who allegedly set up his client. Another of his lawyers Sieny Karmana said that he was 'okay' behind bars despite being shocked about the possibility of the death penalty. 'The family knows now that he is in Bali police headquarters and about the situation that happened to him,' Ms Karmana said. Ms Karmana denied Ahchee was a drug dealer, but said he was a drug user. 'There is no statement that he is a drug dealer, but he is a user,' she said. Ahchee's arrest comes five months after the remaining members of the Bali Nine returned to Australia following their conviction for smuggling heroin in 2005. Matthew Norman, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen, Scott Rush and Michael Czugaj flew back to Australia on a Jetstar commercial flight in December last year. The Aussies were arrested alongside Andrew Chan, Myuran Sukumaran, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen and Renae Lawrence in Bali in April 2005. Ringleaders Chan and Sukumaran were executed by firing squad in April 2015. Stephens' former cellmate Nguyen died in a Jakarta hospital in 2018 following a battle with cancer. Lawrence, who was the only member not to get a death sentence or life behind bars, was released in 2018 after her sentence was reduced to 20 years on appeal. The group attempted to smuggle 8.3kg of heroin strapped to their bodies from the holiday island.
News.com.au
27-05-2025
- News.com.au
John McLeod reveals what happens now in shock Lamar Ahchee arrest in Bali
A consultant with 15 years' experience helping Australians navigate Indonesia's complex legal system has warned that alleged cocaine smuggler Lamar Ahchee faces the serious prospect of execution. John McLeod of Tora Solutions said the 43-year-old man would now likely spend about two months locked up in a cell at the Bali Police Centre as the investigation into his alleged trafficking offence escalated. Investigators allege Mr Ahchee, who moved to Bali to live and work in 2017, imported 1.7kg of cocaine with an estimated value of $1.14m. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison or execution, which Mr McLeod said was a 'possibility'. 'It depends what articles they charge him under,' he told NewsWire on Tuesday. 'I suspect they'll charging under articles 112, 113, and 114, which is a user, international importation and dealer.' Mr McLeod said he would not be shocked if prosecutors pushed for a death penalty. 'No, (it wouldn't shock me),' he said. 'Whether it's upheld, the prosecutor puts forward a thing called a 'demand'. 'So the prosecutor will put a demand to the three judges and then it's up to the three judges whether they accept the prosecutor's demand or lower it or even make it higher.' Indonesia does not use a jury trial system of the kind in operation in Australia. Instead, prosecutors and the defence appear before three judges who ask questions to determine the facts of the case. The judges determine guilt or innocence and then deliver their sentence. Police investigators uncovered the cocaine shipment on May 20 as it was X-ray screened through customs. Detectives from Bali's narcotics investigation directorate organised a 'controlled delivery' to locate the intended recipient. The packages were sent to two addresses in Bali's popular Badung regency, which includes the densely populated Kuta and Seminyak areas packed with international tourists. Police claim to have watched Mr Ahchee receive one of the packages in person and arrested him on May 22. Investigators also recovered a scale, plastic bags and cellphone from Mr Ahchee. On Monday, the police paraded Mr Ahchee before media to announce the arrest. He was shackled and dressed in an orange jumpsuit with a black balaclava over his head. 'For something this large, they would always do a shame sort of thing,' Mr McLeod said. 'Just because of their no-tolerance policy on drugs. It's big news over there and they will take credit for it.' Mr McLeod, who helped negotiate convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby's parole and release from prison in Bali, clarified that Mr Ahchee had not yet been charged and was presently a suspect. Mr McLeod told NewsWire the parties with an interest in the matter had reached out to him for help, but he wouldn't confirm who he had spoken with. 'I've just had a brief chat,' he said. 'I need to know what's really going on with it before I'll put my hand up to give too much advice.' Mr McLeod said he had not spoken with Mr Ahchee but might connect with the man soon. 'I would suspect that I'd probably speak to him in either today or tomorrow,' he said. The packages were shipped from the UK and Mr McLeod said Indonesian authorities were likely talking with Interpol to try to uncover the network. Mr Ahchee will be held in a cell for about two months and then investigators will recommend charges to a prosecutor. He will then be transferred to Bali's notorious Kerobokan prison. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed it is providing consular assistance to an Australian detained in Bali. Before his arrest, Mr Ahchee worked as general manager at the Brick Lane restaurant in Canggu. He left the business in October last year.
