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.