Australians tried on drug charges
Australians tried on drug charges
Agencies, Denpasar, Bali
The first two of nine young Australians facing possible death sentences for allegedly trying to smuggle heroin from Bali went on trial on Tuesday in the resort island.
The trials of the eight men and one woman, dubbed the Bali Nine by Australian media, are the latest in a series of high profile drug cases involving Australians in Indonesia.
The nine were arrested in April, five at Bali's airport with heroin allegedly on their bodies about to board a flight to Sydney. The other four were detained in a hotel on the island, allegedly planning a second shipment of the drug.
Myuran Sukumaran, 24, and Michael Czugaj, 20, did not react as prosecutors read out the charges against them in separate courtrooms of the Denpasar District Court.
Prosecutors described Sukumaran as the ringleader of the group and said he strapped the heroin to the others' bodies, ordered them to travel to the airport and promised them A$5,000 (US$3,800) when they arrived in Australia. Sukumaran was arrested at a hotel in Kuta, Bali's main tourist town.
Czugaj was arrested at the airport on April 17 with 300 grams (11 ounces) of heroin strapped to his right thigh, said prosecutor Suhardi. "It is clear that both men have violated the law in Indonesia," Suhardi told reporters after the trial.
Another prosecutor, David Aji, said Czugaj was one of four alleged members of the smuggling ring detained as they were waiting to board a flight to Sydney.
Prosecutor Olopan Nainggolan alleged Sukumaran was also guilty of arranging the smuggling out of the heroin but was not involved as a courier himself.
Both Nainggolan and David said gang members met in Australia on April 6 and held another meeting in Bali. They also recounted how heroin packages were strapped to the bodies of the "mules".
The two defendants were not required to address the court. The trials were adjourned until next week.
The other seven suspects will go on trial later this week in the same court. All are accused of violating drug smuggling and possession laws that carry the death sentence.
Two other trials in the same case are due to open on Wednesday in the same court. Matthew Norman, 18, of Sydney, Nguyen, 27, of Brisbane and Si Yi Chen, 20, of Sydney will appear jointly in one trial.
Martin Stephens, 29, of Wollongong, will have a separate trial.
Norman, Nguyen and Si were arrested at a hotel in Kuta, allegedly while preparing another drug shipment. Stephens was arrested at the airport as an alleged courier.
On Thursday, alleged gang members Andrew Chan, 21, of Sydney, and Scott Rush, 19, of Brisbane, will go on trial separately. It was not clear if or when the lone woman in the group, Renae Lawrence, will stand trial.
Australian police say their officers helped provide intelligence that led to the arrests. But anti-death penalty activists have criticized the Australian police's involvement, saying the suspects should have been allowed to return home to face arrest in Australia, which abolished the death sentence in 1973.
In May, former beautician Schapelle Corby was sentenced to 20 years in jail for smuggling marijuana into the island. That verdict was met with anger in Australia, where many people believe she was the innocent victim of an international drug ring.
Corby is awaiting the outcome of the resumed trial.
In August, two more Australians were arrested in Indonesia. Adelaide-born model Michelle Leslie, 24, faces up to 15 years in jail if convicted of possessing two ecstasy tablets, while teacher Graham Clifford Payne, 20, could be executed on charges involving more than 2,000 assorted tablets.
Prime Minister John Howard has described Australians carrying drugs in Asian countries as "stupid" and said they should not expect help from his government.