Bali: Five accused drug smugglers from Hong Kong, Chile, Switzerland and Thailand who were caught in Bali could face the firing squad if convicted, police on the Indonesian holiday island said Wednesday.
The group, arrested in separate incidents this month and in November, were paraded in shackles and orange jumpsuits at Bali’s airport customs office, escorted by machine-gun toting police — a common practice in Indonesia. Muslim-majority Indonesia has some of the world’s toughest drug laws, including the death penalty for traffickers.
While death sentences are often reduced to long jail terms, Indonesia has executed foreign nationals in the past, including two Australian masterminds of the Bali Nine heroin gang who were shot in 2015.
Two of the five are men from Hong Kong, who were caught with 3.2 kilograms and 4.0 kilograms of methamphetamine, respectively, police said.
The Chilean was allegedly carrying 77 grams of meth while a Swiss citizen was arrested with 30 grams of marijuana in his possession, police said. The Thai man had nearly 18 grams of marijuana, they added. “The law allows for a life sentence or the death penalty,” Bali police narcotics unit said. (AFP)
