When NINE Aussie may face firing squad
[My Australasia]
NINE Australians arrested in Bali for allegedly trying to smuggle heroin could face the firing squad if convicted.
Two teenagers, a 27-year-old woman and another man allegedly had 10.9kg of heroin strapped to their bodies when arrested at Bali's Denpasar International Airport on Sunday.
A fifth person, described by police as the godfather, was arrested as he sat on the plane reading a newspaper.
He had no drugs on him.
Four others were arrested at a Kuta hotel, where police found a small amount of heroin, scales, a suitcase filled with packing tape and items allegedly linked to drugs.
Australian Federal Police allege the nine were part of an international organised crime gang.
The four held at the airport allegedly had the drugs packed into elastic waistbands and covered with tape.
They carried amounts ranging from 2.4kg to 3.3kg.
Police said the heroin was laced with pepper to throw sniffer dogs off the scent and that the suspects wore baggy clothes to conceal the drugs.
Those arrested are aged between 18 and 29 and are from NSW and Queensland. None has yet been charged. They were led from the police station to jail cells yesterday with shirts over their heads.
"They're convicting me of something I didn't do," one told the Herald Sun.
Asked if he had any message for his family, he said: "Tell them I love them. Tell my girlfriend I love her too."
Earlier, they sat shell-shocked in the police station as they were interrogated.
Drug trafficking carries the death penalty in Indonesia.
Three foreigners, two Thais and an Indian, were executed over drugs last year.
Australian Federal Police agents alerted Indonesian National Police early this month that a team of suspected drug couriers was on its way to Bali.
INP officers kept them under surveillance at their hotel.
The group was due to fly back on Thursday but changed their flights to depart three days later.
Police followed five suspects to the airport before arresting them as they were about to leave for Sydney on an Australian Airlines jet at 7.30pm on Sunday local time.
Indonesia's anti-drugs chief Lt Col Bambang Sugiarto said all had confessed they were couriers.
"The men, in preliminary investigations, have confessed to being couriers but have so far refused to elaborate on who they were working for," he said.
The two Brisbane 19-year-olds were last night named as Michael Czugaj and Scott Anthony Rush.
"We're just devastated," Mr Rush's mother said.
His father Leigh was also visibly shaken.
Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer said he didn't expect the arrest of the nine Australians would influence the outcome of the Schapelle Corby case. Ms Corby is on trial in Bali accused of trying to smuggle 4.1kg of cannabis into Bali.
"I don't think one case should have any bearing on other cases," Mr Downer said.
Mr Downer said he was surprised anybody would risk smuggling drugs through Bali.
"We are not condemning anybody to guilt before we know," the minister said.
"I would have thought with all the publicity there has been around the whole issue of drug trafficking, not just recently but over very many years, only a foolish person would ever consider getting involved in such activities."
Mr Downer said the Australian Government would do what it could to prevent them being executed if they were convicted.
"We don't support capital punishment," Mr Downer said.
The four Australians allegedly found with heroin strapped to their bodies were the two 19-year-olds from Brisbane, a 29-year-old man from Sydney and a woman, 27, from Newcastle in NSW.
A 21-year-old man from Sydney was arrested on the plane.
Those arrested at the Kuta hotel were a 27-year-old Brisbane man and three men from Sydney aged 18, 20 and 24.
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NINE Australians arrested in Bali for allegedly trying to smuggle heroin could face the firing squad if convicted.
Two teenagers, a 27-year-old woman and another man allegedly had 10.9kg of heroin strapped to their bodies when arrested at Bali's Denpasar International Airport on Sunday.
A fifth person, described by police as the godfather, was arrested as he sat on the plane reading a newspaper.
He had no drugs on him.
Four others were arrested at a Kuta hotel, where police found a small amount of heroin, scales, a suitcase filled with packing tape and items allegedly linked to drugs.
Australian Federal Police allege the nine were part of an international organised crime gang.
The four held at the airport allegedly had the drugs packed into elastic waistbands and covered with tape.
They carried amounts ranging from 2.4kg to 3.3kg.
Police said the heroin was laced with pepper to throw sniffer dogs off the scent and that the suspects wore baggy clothes to conceal the drugs.
Those arrested are aged between 18 and 29 and are from NSW and Queensland. None has yet been charged. They were led from the police station to jail cells yesterday with shirts over their heads.
"They're convicting me of something I didn't do," one told the Herald Sun.
Asked if he had any message for his family, he said: "Tell them I love them. Tell my girlfriend I love her too."
Earlier, they sat shell-shocked in the police station as they were interrogated.
Drug trafficking carries the death penalty in Indonesia.
Three foreigners, two Thais and an Indian, were executed over drugs last year.
Australian Federal Police agents alerted Indonesian National Police early this month that a team of suspected drug couriers was on its way to Bali.
INP officers kept them under surveillance at their hotel.
The group was due to fly back on Thursday but changed their flights to depart three days later.
Police followed five suspects to the airport before arresting them as they were about to leave for Sydney on an Australian Airlines jet at 7.30pm on Sunday local time.
Indonesia's anti-drugs chief Lt Col Bambang Sugiarto said all had confessed they were couriers.
"The men, in preliminary investigations, have confessed to being couriers but have so far refused to elaborate on who they were working for," he said.
The two Brisbane 19-year-olds were last night named as Michael Czugaj and Scott Anthony Rush.
"We're just devastated," Mr Rush's mother said.
His father Leigh was also visibly shaken.
Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer said he didn't expect the arrest of the nine Australians would influence the outcome of the Schapelle Corby case. Ms Corby is on trial in Bali accused of trying to smuggle 4.1kg of cannabis into Bali.
"I don't think one case should have any bearing on other cases," Mr Downer said.
Mr Downer said he was surprised anybody would risk smuggling drugs through Bali.
"We are not condemning anybody to guilt before we know," the minister said.
"I would have thought with all the publicity there has been around the whole issue of drug trafficking, not just recently but over very many years, only a foolish person would ever consider getting involved in such activities."
Mr Downer said the Australian Government would do what it could to prevent them being executed if they were convicted.
"We don't support capital punishment," Mr Downer said.
The four Australians allegedly found with heroin strapped to their bodies were the two 19-year-olds from Brisbane, a 29-year-old man from Sydney and a woman, 27, from Newcastle in NSW.
A 21-year-old man from Sydney was arrested on the plane.
Those arrested at the Kuta hotel were a 27-year-old Brisbane man and three men from Sydney aged 18, 20 and 24.
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