Australian nabbed for alleged crystal meth smuggling

Crystal clear: Australian national Michael Sacatides looks on as Bali customs officer scales several packs of crystal methamphetamine during a press conference on Friday. Sacatides was arrested earlier in the day for carrying 1.7 kilograms of crystal meth. – JP/Stanny Angga

An Australian man was arrested Friday by the Customs and Excise Office of Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali for allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs.

Michael Sacatides was apprehended as he arrived from Bangkok at around 11:30 a.m local time with 1.7 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine worth Rp 3.4 billion in his luggage.

The airport officers casted suspected the New South Wales native since they detected an unusual appearance when scanning the black suitcase through X-Ray and ion scan machine.

"We noticed a thick orange layer on the X-Ray screen. And through the ion scanner, we detected that the object contained 30 percent of methamphetamine," said the office's head Bambang Wahyudi.

The officers then disclosed the luggage and found the crystal, and confirmed that the substance was methamphetamine through a rapid test.

Bambang said that the 43-year-old suspect, a Thai-boxing trainer that has been staying in Bangkok for three years, confessed that he was not aware that the drugs were inside his luggage.

"He said the suitcase was not his, he borrowed it from his Indian friend who lives in Bangkok. And he denied knowing that there were drugs inside."

The suspect said he came to Bali for holiday and had bought a return ticket to Bangkok on Oct.4.

He would be brought to the Bali Police headquarters for further investigation.