Three British nationals could face execution by firing squad in Indonesia after being accused of smuggling over two pounds of cocaine into Bali. According to reports, Jonathan Christopher Collier, 28, and Lisa Ellen Stocker, 29, were arrested on February 1. The prosecutor, Dipa Ambala, explained in court that lab tests revealed 10 pouches of a dessert mix labeled “Angel Dithene” and seven similar pouches containing nearly 994 grams, or approximately 2.19 pounds, of cocaine, valued at about 6 billion rupiah (around $368,000).
Following the arrests of Collier and Stocker, authorities apprehended Phineas Ambrose Float, aged 31, two days later. His arrest was linked to a delivery that involved two other suspects handing him drugs in a hotel parking lot in Denpasar.
On Tuesday, the charges against the trio were formally presented in a Bali courtroom. If found guilty, they could receive the death penalty, a common consequence for drug smugglers in Indonesia, often involving firing squads. The trial was postponed until June 10, when witness testimonies will be heard.
Ambala noted that the cocaine had traveled from the UK through Doha International Airport before making its way to Bali. Interestingly, the trio had previously smuggled cocaine into Bali on two other occasions before being caught on this last attempt, as mentioned by Ponko Indiyo, the deputy director of the Bali Police’s Drug Division, during a press conference earlier in February.
Indonesia currently has about 530 inmates on death row, according to the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections. The last executions occurred in July 2016, involving both Indonesian citizens and three foreigners. Among those facing long sentences is Lindsay Sandyford, a British national who has been on death row since 2012 after being arrested with over eight pounds of cocaine concealed in her luggage at a Bali airport.
The country is known for its severe drug laws, making it one of the world’s major hubs for drug-related crimes, despite these strict regulations.
