British cocaine smuggler could face death penalty: Official

Kompas.com/ Muhammad Hasanudin

Lindsay June Sandiford, a British national caught in possession of 4.7 kilograms of cocaine, could face the maximum penalty of death if found guilty of violating the 2009 Narcotics Law, an official said.

"The main reason is because narcotics can massively endanger the young and, thus, whoever is caught with drugs should be severely punished. If three people can consume one gram of cocaine, then this operation has potentially saved up to 14,000 lives," Bali's Customs and Excise Agency monitoring division head, Made Wijaya, said on Monday as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Customs officials apprehended Sandiford on Saturday at Ngurah Rai International Airport's arrivals after customs officials spotted suspicious material hidden in her suitcase during a routine scanning procedure.

Subsequently, the Bali Police arrested a further four foreigners, three British nationals and an Indian national, who are suspected to have been involved with Sandiford as part of an international drug syndicate. (png/dic)