Australian arrested for drugs
Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar
Bali Police have arrested an Australian man for the possession of a small amount of hashish, making him the 10th Australian to be arrested in Bali this year for a drug-related crime.
Provincial police spokesman Sr. Comr. AS Reniban said on Monday narcotics officers discovered three grams of hashish during a search on Sunday of the residence of John Julian Pyle, 43, in Ubud subdistrict, Gianyar, east of the provincial capital Denpasar.
The drugs were found in a plastic bag, a bottle and a condom box, Reniban said.
"We have been watching (the suspect) for quite some time. After we obtained solid information, we moved on his house and found the evidence," the officer said.
The arrest of Pyle, originally from Adelaide, comes less than three weeks after Bali Police arrested nine Australians who were allegedly attempting to smuggle nearly 11 kilograms of heroin from Bali to Australia.
An Australian woman, Schapelle Corby, 27, is now on trial for allegedly attempting to smuggle 4.1 kilograms of marijuana into Bali from Australia last year. Prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for Corby in a case that has strained ties between Australia and Indonesia.
Reniban said Pyle denied the hashish was his. Officers took the suspect to the Gianyar Police station for questioning following the search of his home.
The Australian businessman could be charged under Law No. 22/1997 on narcotics, which carries a maximum penalty of death.
Bali Police have arrested 69 foreigners, 20 of them Australians, for drug-related crimes over the last five years.
Since last month, the police in Bali have arrested 11 foreigners, 10 of them Australians, for drug offenses.
Reniban denied the police were specifically targeting Australian nationals.
"We act in accordance with procedures and the law," Reniban said.
He also refuted claims the police lacked the competence to fight drug trafficking by foreigners on the island.
"You know Bali is accessible to anyone from overseas. In addition to cheaper airfares, many foreigners have family here," he said.
The Denpasar District Court recently sentenced two South Africans to life in prison for attempting to smuggle heroin into the island.