An Australian man has been arrested in a Bali airport for allegedly smuggling drugs into Indonesian territory. Officials suspected he was carrying drugs in his luggage, prompting the customs officers to conduct a search of his belongings.
The suspect, Isaac Emmanuel Roberts, had traveled from Bangkok to Bali through the main island's airport. He is alleged to have been in possession of 19.97 grams of crystal methamphetamine in his luggage.
The supply was confiscated by law enforcement officials after a thorough search of the bags.
It is currently unknown whether Roberts was smuggling the drugs with the intent to distribute them or to keep them for personal use. Statements indicate, however, that Roberts has been consuming methamphetamine for quite some time.
Since his arrest, Roberts has remained in police custody. His lawyer was concerned about his client's health as he would suffer from the effects of methamphetamine withdrawal.
Roberts' lawyer also claims the suspect suffers from depression and is likely to commit suicide if he isn't treated promptly.
According police accounts regarding the arrest, the suspect was apprehended together with other two other alleged drug smugglers. Their arrest is set to be used as a lesson to others who may be planning on smuggling drugs into the country.
It is not clear if the three are connected in any way or interacted to facilitate the smuggling of the drugs.
Since the three individuals hail from different countries (Australia, Malaysia and the United States), little information about them is yet to be known. Local law enforcement agencies and customs officials are undertaking a coordinated investigation into the case.
As the three were presented to the public, they wore prison clothes and ski mask-style face caps.
The media was invited to film and document the court entrance.
This strategy, put forth by local law enforcement, was meant to humiliate the suspects while also protecting their identity before they were presented to the court for their hearing.
The police officers surrounding the scene were heavily armed, which sends out a sort of warning message against drug trafficking.
Helen Pausacker, the deputy director of the Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam, and Society, told news outlets covering the case that this practice is common throughout Indonesia where crime rates are staggeringly high.
On further investigation, law enforcement officials involved in the case came to understand that there might not be any relation among the three suspects.
According to the report given by the Bali airport customs officials, Isaac Emmanuel Roberts arrived by a Thai Airways flight and appeared to be acting suspicious.
It prompted the officials to search his luggage inside the customs examination room for the second, and more thorough, time.
Ultimately, the police officials were able to recover ecstasy pills; he was also found with methamphetamine and more than 20 grams of alprazolam, all hidden carefully in his luggage.
According to Indonesian law, Roberts faces charges that might see him sentenced to the death penalty. The federal drug law states that one must face the maximum death penalty if they're found to have imported more than five grams of methamphetamine.
Roberts, on the other hand, accuses the customs officers of setting him up to come with the drugs.
As he was escorted out of the conference room by the police officers, he stated that the customs officers are taking advantage of his drug addiction to punish him.
He continued to claim that he had no intention of supplying or distributing the drugs to any user in the country as they were for his own consumption.
His case either attracts a prison term of up to 20 years or even a death penalty sentencing if he's found guilty of the charges being pressed against him.
According to Pausacker, if Roberts is alleging that he is just a drug addict, there is a considerable likelihood for him to be taken to a rehabilitation center.
At the moment, there is no precise information on the final decision likely to be taken to Roberts as the case is not concluded.
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