In balaclava and cuffs, Briton who was ‘caught with 3g of cannabis’
A BRITISH tourist has been paraded in front of cameras in a balaclava and handcuffs after he was allegedly caught with three-and-a-half grams of cannabis in Bali.
Indonesian police caught Zaid Thanoon, 26, with the cannabis hidden in a pouch of tobacco. He was arrested on arrival at Bali’s Ngurah rai international airport, having flown in on an Air Asia flight from Bangkok, Thailand, on July 13.
Indonesia takes a notoriously nononsense stance on drugs.
Smugglers caught with more than five grams can face the death penalty. If convicted of drugs trafficking, Thanoon, a photographer based in Sheffield, faces up to 15 years in prison and heavy fines.
Indonesia has executed several prisoners, including foreigners, by firing squad in the past few years over drugs offences.
More than 150 people are on death row in the island nation, mostly for drug crimes. About a third are foreign.
British grandmother lindsay Sandiford, from redcar on Teesside, has been on death row since december 2012 after attempting to smuggle cocaine into Bali.
The 62-year-old admitted smuggling 4.8kg (10.6lb) of the Class A drug, but said she was pressured by a gang.
Thanoon was brought before a press conference yesterday along with victor ortegarocha, a Chilean man caught with three grams of cannabis on July 12.
Both were wearing blue tops bearing the logo of Bali’s National Narcotics Agency. According to local media, Thanoon admitted to being a recreational cannabis user.
officers described how they found ‘a plastic clip containing pieces of green plants’, said to be around 3.55 grams of the class B drug.
According to experts in Indonesian law, suspects are covered in a balaclava during public appearances as a ‘token of protection’. The Foreign office warns travellers heading to Indonesia: ‘don’t get involved with illegal drugs. Possession, trafficking and manufacture of any illegal drugs are serious offences in Indonesia.
‘The Indonesian authorities have a zerotolerance policy and those caught face lengthy prison sentences or the death penalty, usually after a protracted and expensive legal process. British nationals have been caught and jailed for drug offences in Indonesia.’ last night a spokesman said: ‘We are assisting a British man and his family following his arrest in Indonesia.’
Thanoon’s linkedIn page lists him as a freelance photographer and videographer. His portfolio includes wedding photos, films for local businesses and live music events.