Australian man tried in Indonesia for alleged drug possession in Bali

DENPASAR, INDONESIA — DENPASAR, Indonesia (AP) — A court on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Thursday began the trial of an Australian man who faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted of possessing methamphetamine under the laws country's strict drug laws.

Troy Andrew Smith, from Port Lincoln in South Australia, was arrested on April 30 after police raided his hotel near Kuta Beach, a popular tourist spot, and seized 3.15 grams (0.1 ounce) of crystal methamphetamine in his bedroom, authorities said.

The arrest followed a tip that Smith had received a suspicious package in the mail containing toothpaste from Australia.

Prosecutors at the district court in Denpasar, Bali's provincial capital, said he violated anti-drug laws, punishable by up to 12 years in prison and a fine of 8 billion of rupees ($491,000).

Authorities reduced the original charge of drug trafficking, which carries the death penalty, to the less serious charge of drug use after a police drug assessment team determined he was a drug user. drug.

The 49-year-old accountant admitted to using drugs since 2020 to stop drinking alcohol and denied being a dealer, lead prosecutor Isa Ulinnuha said.

“He was not involved in illicit drug trafficking, but was a drug addict of the moderate category,” Ulinnuha told the court. “Therefore, we also recommend that he undergo psychological evaluation and inpatient medical rehabilitation for at least six months at a government rehabilitation center. »

After reading the charges against Smith, the three-judge panel adjourned the trial until June 20.

Smith's lawyer, Ida Bagus Gumilang Galih Sakti, said he would seek to prove that Smith is a user, not a trafficker, and that he has no links to a drug ring.

He said his client was nervous and depressed as his trial approached.

“I try to calm him down and make him understand that he will undergo rehabilitation so that he can return to his family as quickly as possible,” he said.

Indonesia has very strict drug laws and convicted traffickers can be executed by firing squad. More than 150 people are on death row, most for drug crimes, and about a third of them are foreigners.

Eighteen people convicted of drug offenses have been executed under current President Joko Widodo, who took office in 2014.