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Australian faces 12 years in prison in Indonesia for alleged drug possession on Bali

  • Troy Smith was arrested on April 30 after police raided his hotel and seized 3.15 grams of crystal methamphetamine from his room

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Troy Smith is escorted to his trial, in Bali, Indonesia on Thursday. The Australian was arrested on April 30 by the Indonesian police after being allegedly found in possession of methamphetamine. Photo: EPA-EFE

A court on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali on Thursday began the trial of an Australian man who faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted of possessing methamphetamine under the country’s tough drug laws.

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Troy Smith, from Port Lincoln in South Australia, was arrested on April 30 after police raided his hotel near Kuta beach, a popular tourist spot, and seized 3.15 grams (0.1 ounce) of crystal methamphetamine from his room, authorities said.

The arrest followed a tip that Smith had received a suspicious package containing toothpaste by mail from Australia.

Prosecutors at the District Court in Denpasar, Bali’s provincial capital, said he violated anti-narcotics laws that carry a penalty of up to 12 years in prison and a fine of 8 billion rupiah (US$491,000).

Authorities reduced the initial charge of drug trafficking, which carries a possible death penalty, to the less serious charge of drug use after a police drug assessment team determined he was a drug user.

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The 49-year-old accountant confessed to using drugs since 2020 to stop drinking alcohol, and denied being a dealer, lead prosecutor Isa Ulinnuha said.

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