Australian arrested in Bali for alleged drug smuggling

Australian arrested in Bali for alleged drug smuggling

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

Police said here on Thursday they arrested an Australian citizen
for attempting to smuggle illegal drugs from Bali to Australia.

Currell Christopher, 37, was arrested while carrying 54,645
ephedrine pills and one kilogram of ephedrine powder, Bali Police
chief of detectives Adj. Sr. Comr. Bambang Sugiharto said.

He said the suspect was detained while attempting to ship the
drugs to Darwin, Australia, via a cargo service last Tuesday.

"The drugs were hidden in a flower pot and were to be sent to
Australia via a cargo agency ... in Ngurah Rai," Bambang said.

He said the government has banned the public distribution of
ephedrine, which can be used to produce ecstasy and crystal
methamphetamine (shabu-shabu).

Christopher is thought to have been planning to use the
ephedrine to make ecstasy or shabu-shabu in Darwin, according to
Bambang.

He said police had been following Christopher since last
Saturday after learning that the suspect planned to ship illegal
drugs to Australia.

Christopher, who claims to be self-employed, often traveled to
Bali with no apparent business, raising the suspicion of local
police.

Bambang said the suspect initially denied any wrongdoing, but
confessed after police officers uncovered the ephedrine concealed
in a flower pot to be sent to Australia.

"The flower pot was inside a wooden box and it contained six
mineral water bottles, inside of which officers found ephedrine
powder and pills," he said.

Police also seized some 34,500 ephedrine pills from the
suspect's room at the Villarisi Hotel in Kuta.

Bambang said Christopher told officers he obtained the drugs
from a person from Makassar, South Sulawesi, but refused to
identity the supplier.

The Australian is being detained at Bali Police Headquarters
for further questioning. He could face a maximum of 15 years in
jail if convicted.