Indonesia’s drug enforcement laws are notoriously some of the strictest in the world. Mere possession of a minor amount of the country’s Class 1 narcotics – which includes everything from heroin to meth to marijuana – can equate to years behind bars, and thousands of dollars in fees.
And the penalties only go up from there.
For one Australian native, he’s facing the most severe legal repercussions possible for accusations of trafficking cocaine into the surf-rich region of Bali’s Canggu. Lamar Ahchee is alleged to have smuggled (or, rather, received a package with) $1.1 million worth of cocaine, hidden in chocolate wrappers, when he was caught by authorities – and now he’s facing the death penalty.
According to Ahchee’s lawyer, he was set up. He didn’t know what was in the packages. Per his legal representative, Edward Pangkahila:
“It’s not true, he didn’t admit [to dealing], he is shocked about the case, he never thought that would happen. Lamar has been set up by someone called ‘Boss.’ He was told to collect the package, but he actually didn’t know what the package was… He thought it was a normal package. He’s telling me that honestly, he doesn’t know what was inside. We’re still looking for that somebody who tell him to take this package.”
This isn’t the first time foreigners have faced the strict arm of the law in Bali, when it comes to drug charges. Not even close. There’s a long history of surfers attempting to smuggle drugs into the country, through creative methods, and getting caught. For example, hiding drugs in surfboards has been a common tactic – although many have been caught.
Diving deep into the history, in a piece highlighting the dangers of drug smuggling in Bali from a past print issue, writer Kathryn Bonella spoke with those convicted. One accused summed it up as such:
“Bali can be heaven one minute and hell in the next. You live the fantasy, you live the dream, but one day you wake up.”
Related: Cocaine Smugglers Busted for Hiding Drugs in Surfboards