An Australian man has been arrested in Bali on suspicion of smuggling cocaine, a serious drug offence in Indonesia that could carry the death penalty under the country’s strict narcotics laws.
Lamar Aaron Ahchee, 43, from Cairns in Queensland, was detained last Thursday after police raided his rented residence near Kuta beach, one of Bali’s busiest tourist areas. Authorities seized 1.7 kilograms of cocaine, packaged in 206 small plastic bags, along with a digital scale and a mobile phone, Bali Police Chief Daniel Adityajaya said at a press briefing.
According to investigators, Ahchee had received two suspicious packages sent from England, which were tracked by Bali Police’s anti-narcotics unit. Officers say a motorbike taxi driver collected the packages from a Denpasar post office and passed them to another driver, who delivered them to Ahchee’s home.
“He is suspected of importing or distributing class one narcotics,” Adityajaya stated, adding that initial interrogations suggest the Australian acted under instructions from someone he referred to only as “Boss.” He was allegedly promised 50 million rupiah (approximately €2,660) for handling the cocaine.
At Monday’s press conference, Ahchee appeared in an orange prison uniform, handcuffed and wearing a face mask. He did not speak publicly. His lawyer, Edward Pangkahila, said the legal team would monitor the investigation closely. “He is not the owner of the cocaine, he is just a user,” Pangkahila claimed. “The police must go after the person acting as his boss, to reveal this case fairly.”
Indonesia enforces some of the world’s harshest drug laws. Convicted traffickers can face execution by firing squad, and hundreds are currently on death row for drug offences. According to the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections, about 530 people — including 96 foreign nationals — await execution, most of them for drug-related crimes.
Despite these harsh penalties, Indonesia remains a major target for international drug syndicates, particularly because of its large and youthful population, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime has noted.
Ahchee’s arrest follows several recent cases involving foreigners. In March, a British man and an Argentinian woman were arrested for allegedly smuggling 324 grams of cocaine into Bali. On Tuesday, a British man, Thomas Parker, was sentenced to 10 months in prison after being caught receiving a drug package earlier this year.
Ahchee’s case is now under formal investigation, with Indonesian prosecutors expected to file charges in the coming weeks.
