Frenchman could face death for Bali drug smuggling
DENPASAR, Indonesia: A Frenchman appeared in court in Bali yesterday accused of trafficking a large stash of crystal methamphetamine into the Indonesian resort island, an offence punishable by death.
Francois Giuily was arrested in January at Bali airport with more than three kilogrammes of the drug hidden in two plastic bags in his suitcase lining, said prosecutor Suryatmaja, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.
Airport customs chief I Made Wijaya said at the time of his arrest that the drugs had a street value of US$ 511,280.
The 48-year- old, making an initial appearance in court in the Balinese capital Denpasar, was charged under a law that bans the production, import and distribution of illegal drugs.
The offence carries a maximum penalty of death under Indonesia’s tough anti-narcotics laws.
Giuily told officials that a Gambian drug trafficker he met on the Internet asked him to deliver the drugs to Indonesia and promised to pay him US$ 4,000, the prosecutor said.
There are several foreign nationals on death row for drugrelated offences in Indonesia.
British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford was sentenced to death in January last year after being found with US$ 2.4 million worth of cocaine in her luggage as she arrived in Bali. — AFP