DENPASAR, Indonesia — Three British nationals accused of smuggling more than two pounds of cocaine into Bali have been formally charged under Indonesia’s strict drug laws and could face execution if convicted, officials said Tuesday.
Jonathan Christopher Collyer, 28, and Lisa Ellen Stocker, 29, appeared before the Denpasar District Court after their February arrest at Ngurah Rai International Airport. Prosecutors said customs officials became suspicious after X-ray scans revealed irregular items in their luggage disguised as powdered dessert packets.
According to prosecutor I Made Dipa Umbara, a forensic examination confirmed that ten sachets labeled as Angel Delight in Collyer’s luggage, along with seven from Stocker’s suitcase, contained a total of 993.56 grams (2.19 pounds) of cocaine. Authorities estimate the street value at nearly 6 billion rupiah (approximately $368,000).
The drugs were reportedly smuggled from England with a stopover in Doha, Qatar. Two days after Collyer and Stocker’s arrest, Bali police detained a third British citizen, 31-year-old Phineas Ambrose Float, during a controlled delivery operation in the parking lot of a hotel in Denpasar. Float, who was allegedly the intended recipient of the narcotics, is being tried in a separate case.
During a news conference on Feb. 7, Bali Police Narcotics Unit Deputy Director Ponco Indriyo stated the group had successfully trafficked cocaine into Indonesia twice before being intercepted on their third attempt. He provided no further details about the previous smuggling operations.
Following the formal reading of charges on Tuesday, the three-judge panel adjourned the trial until June 10, when witness testimonies are scheduled to be heard. The defendants and their legal representatives declined to speak with reporters after the proceedings.
Indonesia enforces some of the world’s most severe drug laws, including the death penalty for trafficking offenses. Convicted smugglers are often executed by firing squad. According to the country’s Ministry of Immigration and Corrections, 530 people are currently on death row, including 96 foreign nationals—most for drug-related crimes.
The country’s last executions took place in July 2016, when three foreign nationals and one Indonesian were put to death. Among those awaiting execution is British citizen Lindsay Sandiford, 69, who was arrested in 2012 with 3.8 kilograms (8.4 pounds) of cocaine concealed in her suitcase lining. Her death sentence was upheld by Indonesia’s highest court in 2013, and she remains on death row.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has identified Indonesia as a major transit and distribution hub for international narcotics syndicates, despite its draconian penalties. Authorities say the country’s young population and booming tourism sector make it a high-priority target for drug traffickers.
As Indonesia continues its war on drugs, the trial of the three British nationals is being closely watched by human rights groups, legal observers, and the UK government. British diplomatic representatives have yet to comment publicly on the ongoing court proceedings in Denpasar.
AP
