In Denpasar, Indonesia, severe drug charges were brought against three British citizens Tuesday, accused of smuggling a substantial amount of cocaine into the country. These individuals, arrested on Bali, stand to face the death penalty due to Indonesia’s stringent drug laws.
Caught by customs officers on February 1, Jonathan Christopher Collyer, 28, and Lisa Ellen Stocker, 29, found themselves in custody after suspicious packages in their luggage were thoroughly inspected at an X-ray checkpoint. According to prosecutor I Made Dipa Umbara, the packages were labeled as food items.
During the court proceedings in Denpasar, Umbara presented evidence revealing that lab tests had identified cocaine concealed within ten sachets of Angel Delight dessert mix from Collyer’s luggage, together with seven more sachets found in Stocker’s suitcase. The total amounted to approximately 993.56 grams (2.19 pounds) of the illicit drug, with an estimated street value of 6 billion rupiah ($368,000).
Phineas Ambrose Float, 31, became the third suspect arrested two days later when a carefully orchestrated controlled delivery occurred. Authorities set up this operation, arranging for the other accused to transfer the drugs to Float in a hotel parking lot in Denpasar. He faces trial separately.
Prosecutor Umbara further explained that this particular smuggling attempt used a route from England, transiting through Doha’s airport in Qatar before heading to Indonesia.
During an earlier press conference on February 7, Ponco Indriyo from the Bali Police Narcotics Unit revealed that the group had successfully smuggled drugs into the island twice before but were intercepted during the third smuggling effort.
Following the reading of charges, the court in Bali adjourned these proceedings to resume on June 10, allowing time to hear witness testimonies in the case. Both the accused and their attorneys refrained from speaking to the press post-trial.
Data from the Indonesian Ministry of Immigration and Corrections indicates that about 530 individuals, including 96 foreigners, remain on death row predominantly due to drug-related offenses. The last execution in Indonesia took place in July 2016, implicating both domestic and foreign nationals.
Among those on death row is Lindsay Sandiford, a British woman now 69 years old, following her 2012 arrest in Bali after 3.8 kilograms (8.4 pounds) of cocaine were discovered hidden within her luggage. Her death sentence was confirmed by Indonesia’s highest court in 2013.
Despite its rigid drug policies, Indonesia is considered a significant hub for drug smuggling, a situation exacerbated by international syndicates targeting the country’s youthful demographic, as highlighted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.